A Family And Their Forever
by missjulseyb
Summary: Sequel to "A Man and His Maid". Everyone is back home and life is going on. Babies, birthdays, and romance OH MY! Skyeward, Fitzsimmons, Mayson for the win! You're gonna want to read "A Man and His Maid" first if you haven't already.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay guys. So the newest episode absolutely ruined my feels. Like seriously people, what the hell is going on with our ship?! And since I absolutely cannot function right now I figured what better time would it be to write my sequel to "A Man and His Maid" where all ships sail forever on beautiful calm oceans. This starts pretty much right where I left off in the last one and hopefully this might go on forever. Just so you know. Welcome to my happy place!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so thats pretty cool!**

**Chapter 1: Two Fitz' And A Baby**

Skye and Grant came back from their honeymoon and were immediately pulled into a large closet by Fitz. "Okay guys, listen. Jemma is not her usual self. Just talk calm to her, don't mention how large she's gotten, and just play along with what she says. No sudden movements. She can sense when someone is close." The other occupants of the closet looked at each other confused and then nodded abruptly when they heard a voice screaming from down the hall, "Leopold Fitz I swear to God if you aren't ready to leave for our appointment in the next 30 seconds I'm going to skin you alive!".

Jemma's pregnancy was surprisingly hard on everyone. The normally bubbly and mild mannered Brit was a completely different person with all of her hormones. Whenever someone mentioned her growing tummy she would burst into tears thinking she was getting fat. If she asked anyone for something they would promptly get whatever she asked for, fearing that she would either bawl her eyes out or slap them across the face in anger. She had strange cravings that poor Leo had to wake up at all hours of the night to cook for her. Phil and Ward took to hiding in Ward's private sitting room and were still interrupted once by the pregnant Jemma. Melinda always remained calmed around her and didn't draw much attention, leaving Jemma to ask the others for something.

Skye was great with Jemma, which didn't surprise anyone since she had known Jemma the longest. She was the picture of calmness and always knew how to calm her down. Skye could always be seen grabbing something for Jemma and handing her tissues whenever she cried. If Jemma got upset she would always ask for Skye. At first, Leo would get jealous that he couldn't comfort his wife, but then he realised he was a comfort, but nothing could calm a girl down like her surrogate younger sister and then he relaxed. It gave him more time to come up with little surprises for Jemma.

Fitz was surprisingly talented in other areas besides cooking. Sure, he came up with baby food recipes in almost all of his spare time, but he had also surprised Jemma with small toys and had even made her a rocking chair by hand. She had cried and sat rocking in the chair for hours in the nursery. Skye and Grant painted the nursery (because if Skye asked her hubby to do something, he dropped whatever he was doing to do it) while Jemma instructed them what needed to be done to get it painted how she wanted. Phil and Melinda had mostly sat back and let the younger members of the house experience the pregnancy, but assured both Fitz' that they would be more than happy to watch the little one once he was born.

Jemma gave birth to a baby boy on a hot July afternoon with Leo and Skye by her side. Leo was just as worked up as Jemma was during labor, constantly trying to tell her how to breathe. "Gosh Leo, I know how to breathe! This is your fault! Why can't you be the one to push this thing out! Gah!" She would squeeze his hand and he had to sit down twice from getting too anxious. After sitting down the second time, Jemma looked over at him and shrieked for him to go get Skye because he was freaking her out. He ran down the hall full speed and all but yanked her from Grant's arms to get her into the room with Jemma.

Skye would take a washcloth and gently dab Jemma's forehead whispering to her how great of a job she was doing and how it was all going to be worth it when she got to hold her baby boy in her arms. It was like her presence alone calmed Jemma. After hours of labor Ian Brian Fitz was born and Jemma immediately became her cheery self again. Her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears as she held her boy in her arms for the first time and Leo choked back a sob as little Ian grabbed his finger. Skye slipped out the door to go find her husband. _Ah that never get's old_ was going through her head as she walked into the waiting room at the hospital to find Grant sitting in a chair reading a book with Phil and Melinda close by.

"He's gorgeous" said Skye as Phil and Melinda got up to see the new family. Grant got up to pull Skye into a hug and she looked up at him. "I don't know how I'm ever going to go through that. That was scary! It looks so painful!"

Grant chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. "And to think I was about to ask you when we were going to have one of our own. You know you'll get through it because I'll be by your side every step of the way."

Skye laughed and smirked at him as she tugged him towards Jemma and Leo's room. "Well maybe we can start trying soon. What kind of _wife _would I be to deny the man I love lots and lots of children?" Grant's laugh could be heard as they walked down the hall to go see the new member of their family.

Five months later Skye got pregnant. _Holy shit _was the only thing that went through her head for the first hour and then she smiled and decided to surprise Grant. He was in his library reading a book when Skye walked in with her hands behind her back and a smirk on her face.

"Hello there Mrs. Ward. Is there something I can help you with?"  
"Actually there might be _Mr. Ward._ I'm having a hard time reading something. Can you see if you can tell what it says?" with that she held out the positive pregnancy test and Grant beamed before he picked her up and spun her around.  
"Holy Shit! Are we having a baby?!"  
"Looks like it. So you better get ready daddy!"

With that she ran out of the room to tell Jemma (who squealed and almost woke up her own baby) and Phil (who pulled her into a huge hug).

**One more note! I am taking suggestions of stuff you'd like to see in this. I'm hoping this fic will go on for a long time and have many chapters so let me know of any ideas you guys have and I will try my hardest to get them all to fit in somewhere.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Hey There Delilah**

**Note: Hey guys! Here's chapter 2! I hope ya'll enjoy! Thanks for all of your amazing reviews and support. You guys are totally what keeps me updating. Time to meet baby Ward!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

At the beginning of Skye's pregnancy, Leo stayed far away from her. He was scared she was going to be like Jemma when she was pregnant so he could usually be found in the kitchen with Ian strapped to the front of him in a baby carrier while he came up with new recipes. He realised the kitchen was the perfect hideaway from pregnant women when Jemma got pregnant and the smells prevented her from getting anywhere near it. Melinda just went about her business and Jemma was always near Skye to provide comfort when needed. Phil and Grant, however doted on Skye at all hours of the day; neither of them straying far from the pregnant occupant of the house.

Skye was nervous about being pregnant and starting a family. She had no idea how to raise a child and never had a mom or dad to show her anything. The nuns took care of the little ones in the orphanage, leaving her to mostly fend for herself and she knew that wasn't how she wanted her child to be. She had seen the way the nuns took care of the little ones before, and recently had been learning a lot from Jemma. Luckily, she had Grant and Phil to help keep her calm.

Grant played the part perfectly of doting baby daddy and husband, but it helped that Skye wasn't a pain at all while pregnant. He would go to every ultrasound they had with Jemma and every obstetrician appointment out of town. If Skye and Jemma wanted to shop for baby clothes, he would drive the women to where they wanted to go and then stand or sit near the door almost like a bodyguard while the women shopped. Every once in a while Skye would hold up a onesie or little dress saying something along the lines of "Daddy's little girl" to get his nod of approval. Where Jemma was loud and screaming with demands at home while pregnant, Skye would bat her eyelids and smile and Grant would get her anything she needed. Her demands weren't really demands, but more like favors with her saying please and thank you. Even while pregnant she didn't want anyone to fuss over her, but if Grant wasn't close by to watch over her, Phil wouldn't be far away.

Skye found herself seeking out Phil a lot as her pregnancy progressed. She had given him a framed print out of her first ultrasound with "Hi Grandpa!" written on the bottom in her pretty handwriting. She spent a lot of her spare time in his office with him, reading a book while he did paperwork and then jumping up off of the couch so Phil could feel the baby kick. The first time it happened Phil actually yelped from her sudden jumping up and Melinda and Grant came running into the room only to stop at the door and laugh when the wide-eyed Phil was standing at his desk with his hand on Skye's stomach. After that, it became a common occurrence for Phil to be doing paperwork and all of a sudden Skye would bolt up and run out of the room and Phil would know it was because the baby was kicking and somebody had to feel it with her.

During Jemma's pregnancy, her and Jemma had stopped receiving work to do in the mansion and became full time residents and family. New staff was hired and very much utilized while Jemma took care of her son and Skye slept off her exhaustion from the pregnancy. Everyone noticed that Skye was almost always tired, but somehow still maintained her bubbly personality when she was awake. The staff that was hired liked Skye a lot and were always quick to get her anything. Grant always told them where he could be found if she needed anything. She had burst into a room many times and run up to Grant the few times they weren't together to pull his hand to her growing baby bump so he could feel a kick. The first time she had done it he had to sit down with his hands still on her stomach and looked up at her with wide eyes, "We're going to have a baby, Skye". She would just laugh and sit on his lap, engaging him in a heated kiss.

The first time the ultrasound looked like an actual baby she cried and squeezed Grant's hand. They were having a girl. They sent the ultrasound to Gramsy who called them and then started to send baby things all the time. It was her first great grand-baby after all and all of the knitted blankets and hats were adorable. Skye had dragged Grant to many baby stores to pick out the perfect furniture for the baby's nursery. He was patient and carried everything for her. Melinda had surprised everyone when they got back with a beautiful painting for the nursery that she painted herself.

The biggest difference with pregnant Skye was that she was more affectionate when it came to Grant. She was always near him (which wasn't really new) and it seemed like every couple of minutes she wanted to be held or hugged (which Grant was all too eager to provide). She would find Grant whenever she wanted to take a nap and have him lie down and hold her as she drifted off. He never complained. He couldn't find a single reason why it would be bad that she was so attached to him. Most of the time he had a book resting on the night stand to read while she slept since honestly he didn't want to be too far away from her as well. He knew she was safe if she was close to him and he found he was drawn to her like a magnet anyways. A few times, Grant had snuck out of the room while Skye took her naps to work on a special project with Phil. They wanted to build her a rocking chair similar to the one that Leo gifted Jemma with when she was pregnant.

Skye would also wake Grant up in the middle of the night to satisfy her other cravings. He thought she was insatiable before, but seeing her pregnant really changed his opinion on that. She was almost constantly touching him in some way and some days he wouldn't even leave their room until after noon. He had always found her extremely beautiful to begin with, but there was something different about her carrying their child that just drove him wild. The pregnancy had accentuated her curves even more, filling her breasts and the slight adjustment in her hips gave them a fuller appearance that accentuated her small waist. Her pregnancy was almost all in her stomach. You couldn't tell from behind that she was even pregnant. Grant's reaction to her changed body had gotten to the point where they would duck into random rooms and lock doors just to worship each other, and if people had heard the moans and screams while walking by they didn't mention it.

Where Leo would surprise Jemma with baby gifts when they were pregnant, Grant would spoil Skye with things for herself. He would buy almost anything he thought she would like and wrap them and have them sitting in a room for her when she walked in. He had taken her out countless times to go out to meals or get ice cream (which was partially selfish on his part because he wanted to show off his wife to everyone). He took her on dates to the movies and treated her to spa days with Jemma and Mel.

On a cool morning in September, Delilah May Ward (or Lyla as she was affectionately called) made her debut. Skye and Grant were the only ones in the delivery room as she had remained pretty calm throughout the process. She was ready to meet their baby and Grant's eyes shimmered at the strength that she had shown through labor. Her only sign that she was in extreme pain was when she would squeeze his hand. He might have had a bruise or two when all was said and done but he didn't even notice as soon as his daughter was put into Skye's arms.

Skye looked down at her for the first time, "Hi baby. I'm your mom." She looks up at Grant, "Holy crap, Grant! I'm a mom! And you're a dad!" He got a goofy grin on his face and sat down next to her in the hospital bed and stroked a finger along the side of the baby's cheek. He placed a kiss to Skye's forehead and she closed her eyes to savor the feel as he wrapped an arm around her. "You did beautiful, babe. She's perfect." Skye handed the little one to her father and he sat and stared at her. Grant had held Ian a few times, but he didn't realise how little babies were until he was holding his newborn daughter. He suppressed the urge to cry as he held her and after a few minutes Skye asked for her back, not wanting to be separated for long.

Grant chuckled and gave Lyla back to Skye and got up to grab the others so they could meet her. Before he walked out the door he looked over at the bed and sighed as his heart swelled. Skye was looking down at their daughter with a smile, stroking her cheek with a finger and softly talking to her. Grant couldn't believe how lucky he was as he looked at the two most important girls in his life and walked out the door to grab the family in the waiting room.

Phil and Melinda were the first ones to hold who they had affectionately referred to as their granddaughter. Skye handed her over to Phil and said "Meet your granddaughter. Delilah May Ward" and both of them had misty eyes as they looked down at the small pink bundle. They had named her after Melinda and she was clearly touched as she bent down to cup Skye's cheek in her hand. Grant was standing close by like a watch dog guarding his pup. Phil chuckled at how protective he was already, "Don't worry Grant. We promise we'll be careful with her." He chuckled because he knew it was true, but just couldn't help himself. Leo looked on while holding Ian in his arms. The one year old was a spitting image of his dad with curly hair, but where Leo had blue eyes, Ian had Jemma's soft brown ones.

Jemma walked over to Skye while everyone doted on her daughter and hugged her. "How are you feeling, love? I was exhausted after little Ian and your labor was longer than mine!"  
Skye smiled at her best friend and surrogate sister choosing to come see her instead of the baby first, "I think right now I'm running on adrenaline and excitement from meeting our little one. I'm sure in about an hour I'll pass out and sleep for days." Jemma laughed and gave her best friend one last hug before walking over and meeting Lyla.

Grant then chose that time to come over and sit with his wife and mother of his new child. He kissed her and looked at her adoringly. "Do you need anything? I can ask the nurse for some water."  
"I just want you with me for right now if you don't mind."  
"I never mind." and with that he wrapped an arm around her and laced their fingers together.

Phil and Melinda handed the baby to Jemma and walked over to the couple. "She's beautiful you guys. We don't know who is going to spoil her more; her parents or her grandparents!" the group laughed at the clearly excited "grandparents". Phil pressed a kiss to Skye's forehead, "You did so good sweetheart. Grant bragged all about how great you did. I'm proud of you. Both of you."

Melinda then squeezed Skye's free hand. "I'm honored you guys chose her middle name after me. She's perfect you guys and I know you'll be great parents. You have a lot of support at the house. We're here for you guys every step of the way if you ever need anything."

The group left the new family to bond and went home. Ian was getting antsy; it was 3 am when Miss Lyla decided to grace them with her presence and everyone was exhausted having been there since early in the morning the day before. When the new family was alone, Skye and Grant sat in the bed together while holding Lyla between them. Neither of them could take their eyes off of her. Skye fell asleep in Grant's arms and he drifted off soon after with Skye and Lyla in his arms. _Yeah, I could definitely get used to this_ was the last thought to cross his mind and he drifted off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Late Nights and Calm Mornings with Delilah**

** Note: Time for some bonding with Lyla! You guys are all so amazing for following and I appreciate your reviews so much. I hope you're all still enjoying this. I know that I could have just continued this and made it one long story, but I kind of wanting the family part to be a different story. As always if you guys have any ideas for scenes you would like in upcoming chapters just message me or leave your suggestions in the reviews! **

** Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool! So welcome to my happy place! :)**

Skye invested a lot of her time staring at her daughter. Grant invested a lot of his time staring at his daughter AND his wife. He loved to watch Skye with Lyla. She was so in-tune with the small baby and he was amazed. She never had a family growing up, but she was definitely doing a great job with this one. She seemed to always have the energy to bounce up as soon as Delilah started to cry and find out what she needed. She was a natural and Grant couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Grant walked up to the nursery and stopped at the door when he saw the view inside. Skye was rocking in the rocking chair that Grant and Phil made for her while feeding Lyla. She was softly humming a song and stroking the baby's arm that softly cupped her breast while she ate. Grant never got tired of the sight of Skye serenely feeding their daughter and was often caught staring. This time was no different.  
Without even looking up from their daughter, Skye smirked. "Admiring the view Mr. Ward?"  
"Just wondering how I got so lucky. Am I not allowed to stare anymore? Because that would ruin me."  
Skye blushed and got up to walk towards him with Lyla in her arms. "You aren't the only one who feels lucky and you know you can stare all you want." She stood up on her toes and kissed his chiseled jaw line, not able to reach any higher until he tilted his head down and bent to kiss her lips, one hand resting on the back of her neck and the other resting on their daughter sleeping between them. It was the quiet, blissful moments like this that Grant and Skye really savored. They could tell from watching Leo and Jemma with Ian that the quiet moments wouldn't last forever. Delilah would start crawling and moving around and be awake longer than she slept.

The pair brought the baby downstairs to visit with Phil and Melinda for a bit before lunch. They always brought her to visit after she was fed and burped for the morning. Phil would immediately beam upon seeing the baby and Melinda would always give her signature smirk and coo over the young baby in Phil's arms. The couple would hold the baby and talk to her until it was time for her to be fed again at which point her parents would take her back to their room.

After lunch, Skye and Lyla would lie down for a nap and Grant would stay with them until they fell asleep then walk out to the gym to work out for a bit. He would finish his work out when he heard Lyla crying and would go in to pick her up and change her and have some daddy daughter time in the library until Skye woke up. Skye had started to take afternoon naps because she became a light sleeper once the baby was born. Grant could feel her moving around at night, getting up a few times to make sure the baby was okay in her crib. Grant would get up and sit with Skye sometimes when she had to feed Lyla, but she would usually convince him to go back to bed so he can be awake during the afternoon when Skye caught up from all the sleep she was losing during late night feedings. Regardless of how much sleep she lost, a beaming smile always graced her features. Her and Jemma would sit for hours with the kids and gossip, neither one of them showing any weakness from becoming a parent.

Skye and Grant spent their afternoons with Jemma, Leo, and Ian, and then their evenings with everyone in the house. Ian was fascinated by the newborn. He would toddle over to Lyla and point and look at Jemma or Leo and say "Momma, baby!" or "Dadda, baby!". He would then scoot up into Uncle Grant's lap and lightly press a hand to his baby cousin's head while she slept in Auntie Skye's arms. There had been a couple of times when he toddled over to her and pressed a light kiss to her forehead making his parents melt. They were all very pleased to see he was interested in the little one and gentle with her. They had heard stories about how sometimes older children would get jealous and pick on the younger ones, but it was like he realized he didn't have to compete with her for attention and saw her as another playmate. They had to constantly remind Ian that Lyla couldn't play blocks with him, but if he gave her a stuffed animal she could hold it and would smile at him. She would start giggling if she dropped something onto the floor and Ian would run over to keep picking it up for her.

Late at night often found Skye rocking in her chair and singing to Delilah while she slept. Grant would wake up in the middle of the night to go look for her and found her in the nursery countless times. Once Lyla started sleeping longer throughout the night Grant would often find Skye lying in the bath tub, relaxing and looking up at the stars through the window in the ceiling over the tub. On most occasions Grant would join her, and other times he would pluck her from the bath and throw her into bed to participate in one of their favorite activities.

Mornings were lazy once Delilah woke. Grant would bring her into bed with them and Skye would snuggle up to him while feeding Lyla. He found he enjoyed reading with his two favorite girls in bed with him and they only distracted him a little bit... or a lot. They would come downstairs for breakfast with everyone after they got done with their morning routine and then Grant would cuddle with Lyla and pay a visit to Phil and Melinda while Skye and Jemma and Leo ran around with Ian outside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: It Takes A Village**

**Note: Alright guys. Here's the chapter for tonight. I know all of you on the east coast need the pick me up and us on the west coast will need it soon. I hope you guys enjoy it! I'm gonna go hide out in a dark hole somewhere and try to come to terms with how AOS is going... we really need a support group for this. I loved the ideas you guys sent and I'm working on getting those in now! yay!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

A couple weeks after Lyla came home, Gramsy came out to visit for two weeks. She wanted to meet her first great-grandchild and help out her grandson and his wife with whatever they needed. She knew that having a new baby was different and didn't want them overwhelmed. She cared about Skye just as much as she cared about Ward and knew they both didn't come from the most stable households and might be worried. Skye and Grant absorbed all of the advise that Gramsy gave them, truly grateful for the experienced woman's help. They found Gramsy helped them stay calm and was patient in answering every question the pair fired at her. Even Jemma and Leo were asking her questions when it was during a time of day that they knew their family in the UK would be asleep. Gramsy spent a lot of time holding Delilah and telling her stories of her dad when he was a little one which the baby always seemed to listen to. After that first visit, Gramsy came out every six months for about a week to help with the kids. Ian loved it when she came out because she made sure to have a small toy for each of the kids. It didn't matter to her that Ian was not blood related and he had his own grandparents and large family in the UK. "You can never have too much family, dear" was what she had told Jemma when she insisted the older woman didn't have to get Ian a gift whenever she came out to see Grant, Skye, and Lyla.

As Lyla got older and stayed awake for more hours during the day, Phil and Melinda would often take the little girl and dote on her so the parents could catch up on sleep or quality time together. Phil would take Lyla and hold her while he did paperwork in his office and Melinda would find her way to the little one shortly after. Everyone was surprised at how much she loved being referred to as Grandma. Phil and Melinda had also helped Jemma and Fitz with Ian and loved having a baby around. They had never had kids, but it wasn't from lack of trying in their earlier days. Mel was in an accident when she was a police officer when she was younger and became unable to have children. Phil stuck by her, not caring that they wouldn't have children of their own. He had Grant to treat like a son and later in life had Skye to dote on as a daughter. When Ian and Lyla came around, Phil and Mel were on cloud nine. The pair were constantly playing with Ian and when Lyla started to crawl, someone was always close by. Phil had never taken so many videos and photos in his life. Lyla could usually be found following Ian around and mimicking him. Someone was constantly with the pair or chasing one down the hall. Baby gates were put up near stairs and doors to rooms they were not allowed to enter. One of the rooms upstairs was turned into a large play room full of toys in hope of keeping the kids in one area, but the parents quickly learned the toys were just taken to other rooms and forgotten once a family member was found.

The first time Lyla crawled she was with Grant. He was lying on the floor with her when she had rolled over onto her tummy and then lifted her head. Grant noticed her trying to crawl and quickly pulled out his phone. He flipped on the camera and took a video as she started to crawl along the floor. He quickly sent the video to everyone in the house and Skye and Phil came running into the room first to see Lyla still crawling along the floor. Skye quickly took out her phone and took another video. Melinda was standing at the door smiling as the baby kept crawling towards her grandpa and laughed when Phil laughed and picked up his surrogate grand-daughter. "She knows who spoils her the most" Melinda had joked from the doorway. Phil just laughed and turned toward her with Delilah in his arms and replied, "Tell your grandma she isn't far behind me when it comes to spoiling you, huh Lyla?".

When Lyla was ten months old and Ian was two, everyone decided that they wanted to be able to have alone time with their spouses. The two little ones being mobile ended up being more work than any of them had anticipated and as much as they loved having the kids around, the men still wanted to romance their wives. While the kids were still really young they had all settled for staying together and bonding with their babies; Grant and Phil and sometimes Skye usually played with blocks on the floor with Ian and Melinda normally watched the calm and mild mannered Lyla. Fitz and Jemma would usually prepare dinner together while the kids were entertained. Even will all of the staff hired, they preferred to still cook meals for the group. It was what had brought them together after all and they still saw it as therapeutic.

The group still had all of their meals (especially dinner) together in the dining room. It was an important tradition that everyone wanted to keep and they all had found that it made it possible to help each other with the kids. Breakfast was usually eaten at different times since Ian slept in later than Delilah did so the kids got to have a meal with just their parents. Phil and Melinda would take the opportunity to have a quiet meal alone usually out in the back yard. During dinner, the children would always sit next to a different adult each night which would lead to a different experience each time and gave everyone a chance to enjoy a warm meal. Ian always stayed pretty clean when he ate with Jemma or Melinda and would get food all over Leo. Uncle Phil was always his favorite to sit next to because he would sneak him a couple of bites of dessert before he finished dinner. Grant and Skye were usually busy with Lyla during dinner, but every once in a while Skye would start a small food fight with Ian.

Another tradition the parents had decided to keep was date night and added girls night and boys night. Each couple got one night a week to go out or stay in and be together with just the two of them and no children. The other couples would watch the babies for the night. Most of the date nights for Leo and Jemma were out in town since Ian was two, but made sure to be home in time to tuck him in, while Skye and Grant just chose to do something at the mansion, not wanting to be far from Lyla since she was still young and Skye was breast feeding. Phil and Melinda varied on what they did on their date nights, but everyone noticed they were never gone long; always wanting to be around the cheery babies. Every once in a while their date night would end with reading a bedtime story to Delilah. Bedtime stories with "Gamma" and "Gampa" as she would later call them became a treat she always enjoyed.

Boys night and girls night happened one night a week where all the women of the house and Lyla would spend the evening doing something together. They usually ended up watching chick flicks and drinking wine and gossiping about the men while ogling over the baby. The men would go play pool in Grant's game room or play video games and drink while Ian would sit in his play pen and play with his blocks and toys. At the end of the night, the couples would put the babies to bed and then watch their own movie together as a group with Phil and Melinda before calling it a night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Ian and Delilah**

**Note: Here's a fun chapter of the little ones playing together and bonding, because what's cuter than little ones as friends?! I hope you guys like it! I have the next few chapters planned out, I just have to write them. Suggestions are always welcome of something you guys would like to see in the story! I LOVE the ideas I've gotten so far and am working on getting them in! In celebration of SEASON 2 OFFICALLY CONFIRMED here's chapter five :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

The two youngest occupants of the house found themselves constantly being adored by the adults. Their parents mostly took care of them, but Phil and Melinda would help care for the kids as well. Ian would call Melinda and Phil his Aunt and Uncle while Delilah knew them as grandma and grandpa. The kids had both started to develop their own personalities and everyone enjoyed seeing it.

Ian was very talkative and rambunctious unless he wasn't familiar with someone. He was constantly running through the halls and spent hours tearing toys apart and then putting them back together with his dad. Even with his limited vocabulary he talked non-stop to whoever would listen. His mom was always the best at listening to him so he would often seek her out. If an adult was sitting in a room, Ian would climb up onto their lap and start babbling about anything and everything. When Lyla was on the floor playing with her toys, Ian would play with his and talk to her knowing that she wouldn't reply. Lyla would always babble back and he took that as enough of a reply. Ian also had a very loving demeanor, clearly inherited from his mother, and could always pick out who needed a hug the most and would promptly walk over and ask to be picked up so he could give a hug. If a toy got too far away for Lyla to reach when Ian was in the room he would quickly pick it up and hand it to her. Ian was always giving hugs to the occupants of the house and kisses to all of his stuffed animals.

Where Ian was talkative, Lyla was quiet. She wasn't a fussy baby at all and would quietly sit up and play with her toys for hours. The most noise she made was when she was in a room babbling with Ian. When she started to crawl and walk, she would often venture into new rooms and new areas so often that Grant went out in a panic and bought more baby gates. She would be in a room with someone and they would turn around to do something and then she would be gone by the time they turned back around with her mess of toys the only indication that she was ever there. Lyla was definitely more adventurous than Ian.

Ian was excited when Delilah turned one. It meant she was old enough to start following him around and he could finally play with the little girl. He was just over two years old and wanted to be able to play all hours of the day. He would sneak into baby Lyla's room countless times during her naps to try to wake her up to play. Melinda somehow was always the first to find him just before he woke her up. She was like a super spy when it came to the kids. "Auntie Mel, I play with Lyla." he would say with a pout and a finger pointed towards her nursery.

"How about you go take your nap too and when you wake up you both can play." With that, Melinda would lay out a blanket on the floor to the nursery so he could sleep near by. Many of Ian's nap times were spent in Lyla's nursery since they discovered that he would break out of his crib to go see her anyways. It got to the point that Leo had to install a new latch on his crib gate so he couldn't get out. Lyla would almost always sleep in the nursery unless she wasn't feeling well. She tended to get sick more often than Ian did (which Jemma assured them wasn't anything serious, just her immune system working itself out) and when she was sick she preferred to sleep with Skye or Grant or even Phil.

Phil absolutely doted on Delilah. He was excited ever since Skye got pregnant and said he would be a Grandpa. Lots of time was passed with him chasing Lyla around his office and snuggling up with her while he did paperwork.

The kids were brought downstairs after naps for their snacks. Lyla would always insist on sitting next to Ian and sharing her food with him which he was all too happy to oblige. After snacks they would search for Phil who would always have a piece of candy at his desk for them. Lyla would burst into his office "Gampa, gampa, gampa! Candy!" and he would laugh. "Say please, Lyla baby."  
She would run up to him and climb into his lap and press a kiss to his cheek, "Peeeasee." and Phil would melt and give her a piece of candy. The talkative yet shy Ian would walk up and say, "Uncle Phil, candy please?" and would beam and sit down on the floor when he too received a piece of candy. The rule was when you got a piece of candy you had to sit on the floor and eat it and you had to show Phil that you were done with it before you run away to continue playing. Jemma had told them about how children would often choke on food when they trip and fall and Phil took the threat very seriously.

Before anyone could even realize it, Ian was four and Lyla was almost three. It was a warm summer day and Skye and Jemma were in the pool with the kids while Melinda soaked her feet. The men were attempting to build a jungle gym for the kids which turned out to be more time consuming and humorous than anyone thought it would be. After getting half of it done, everyone was in the pool cooling off and the guys decided they would finish their project later in the afternoon when it wasn't so hot.

"I don't get why you guys couldn't just designate one person to read the directions and the other two execute. I mean, you guys spent the majority of your time arguing about which pieces go where. How did you guys ever build the rocking chairs and cribs for Jem and I?" Skye had teased as Lyla flapped her arms in the water, splashing everyone near her and bobbing in the water thanks to her life vest.

Grant reached for his daughter as he got into the water and she giggled and reached towards him. "We'll finish it. Don't worry. I know you just want us to finish so you can use the swing." He winked and pressed a kiss to his wife's lips and then to the top of Lyla's head.

Jemma was watching Ian swim with Leo. He wore a floating vest like Lyla, but could more or less swim as long as someone was close by. "Well if you guys are going to take a break from the building, Skye and I are going to go inside real quick and get some juice for everyone. We'll be right back!" With that the two women got out of the pool and walked towards the house before anyone could say they weren't thirsty.

Once inside, the girls walked to the room where the ultrasound was kept and picked up the freshly printed ultrasounds. "I can't believe we got pregnant at the same time! We have to come up with a clever way to tell the guys." and with that the two women started brainstorming on the best way to tell Leo and Grant that they were going to be dads again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Element of Surprise**

**Note: Thanks to all of you for the lovely reviews and follows and favorites. I'm sooo glad you guys are enjoying this as much as I have. I'm working on putting all of your suggestions into the story and I promise upcoming chapters will have more romantical moments with Skyeward, Fitzsimmons, and Mayson because of course the men are going to want to spoil their prego wives! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

Skye and Jemma had both figured out that they were pregnant within almost a week of each other. Skye wasn't as sick this time around, but noticed that she still woke up feeling nauseous in the mornings. She had asked Jemma to do a pregnancy test since she kept feeling sick and low and behold she was pregnant! A week and a half later Jemma woke up sick and tested herself since her and Leo had been trying and discovered she was pregnant as well. The two women secretly got ultrasounds later that week and found that Skye was a couple of weeks farther along than Jemma. Print outs were promptly made of the ultrasounds and the girls' plans were in action to tell their hubbies about the new additions.

Ian was the perfect candidate to help Jemma with her announcement. He was shy, but talkative when it came to the family members of the house and she knew exactly what to say to him to get him talking. So after Ian's nap, Jemma had said what she needed to and sent Ian off to find his dad in the kitchen. She followed the mini-Leo to the kitchen door and stopped to listen as he walked in.

"Daddy, daddy! I want a baby brother!" he had said proudly as he climbed into the chair that was kept next to the mixing bowls for when Ian came in.

Leo dropped the pot he was cleaning and squeaked. "What was that baby?"

"I want a baby brother!"

"Why do you want a baby brother?"

"So I can play with him!"

"But you have Lyla to play with."

"Lyla is a girl."

"Well we'll see."

"Mommy said okay."

"Well then it looks like I'll have to go talk to your mom then." Jemma quickly walked away from the door as Leo helped Ian get off of the chair and walk to the play room to play with his toys. He knew Grant was in there with Lyla right now and would enjoy the company.

Meanwhile in the play room, Lyla and Grant were playing with her doll (something he never thought he would do, but he soon found Delilah and Skye could get him to do pretty much anything). She was sitting on the floor while Grant helped her change the clothes on the doll for the millionth time when a flustered looking Leo walked in with an indifferent Ian. "Do you mind watching him for a sec? I need to talk to Jem."

Grant looked over at Leo with a confused look on his face. "Of course. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just have something to talk to her about. With that Leo walked out of the room and Grant was left to watch Lyla and Ian play together on the floor. "Mummy said I'm gonna have a baby brother." Grant chuckled at hearing the little one's comment. _**Leo is going to have his hands full.**_

Leo walked into into his and Jemma's bedroom to find her sitting serenely on the bed with something in her hands. "Hey love. I have something to show you." She pat the spot on the bed next to her and Leo sat down. She smiled as she handed him the piece of paper with a blue ribbon on it. He turned it over and a smile broke out across is face as he recognized the ultrasound photo. "We're having another baby?!"

"Another boy" she beamed as he pulled her in close for a hug. They then spent the rest of the afternoon celebrating the new addition to their family.

Dinner time rolled around and they decided to go back downstairs to the kitchen and start on some food after checking on Ian. They found him playing out in the yard with Lyla and the others and then started cooking dinner until Jemma got sick from the smells and joined everyone else outside. Leo finished dinner as the girls set the table and Phil and Melinda put the little ones in their highchairs. Grant helped Leo bring the food out and everyone sat down to their meal. After everyone got done eating, Leo and Jemma announced their happy news to the group and Ian immediately started making plans as to what he and his little brother were going to do when he arrived.

Lyla and Ian played out in the yard until it was time for bed at which point Skye and Grant went upstairs to get their daughter changed into her pajamas. She was helping Lyla take her dress off when she asked over her shoulder for Grant to get her pajamas out of the drawer. She tickled Lyla and listened to her giggle before whispering. "Watch this baby. Daddy is going to go crazy." and at that moment the drawer slipped open and Grant saw a onesie that said "Big Sister" and an ultrasound sat next to it with "Nice to meet you, Daddy" written at the bottom. He tripped over his feet and then caught himself before sweeping Skye and Lyla into his arms and twirling them around the room.

"We're going to have another baby!? Do you know what it is yet?!" he was grinning from ear to ear and Skye smiled at seeing how happy he was. She knew he wanted more kids and was happy when she found out that she was going to be able to give him that, but they weren't necessarily trying so she didn't know how he'd take it.

"I don't know what we're having yet. I wanted to wait and find out with you."

Grant pressed a kiss to Skye's lips and then pulled Lyla into his arms. "What do you say Lyla? You want to be a big sister?"  
Grant tickled Lyla and she squealed in delight and replied "Yea daddy! Baby!" Grant and Skye finished getting Delilah dressed and tucked her in before reading her a bedtime story. Grant and Skye read to their daughter every night at bedtime, just like Jemma and Leo did with their son. Skye wasn't big on reading, but found that children books tended to be more entertaining now that she was an adult and found them a little more ridiculous than the average child. Delilah soon drifted off to sleep and all of the adults met up to watch a movie and talk babies and pregnancies before turning in for the night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: When Phil and Melinda Babysit**

**Note: This chapter was an idea sent to me by the lovely and amazing **_**LisaMichelle25 **_**who has been sooo amazing with all of the positive words. This one is for you dear! I hope it lives up to your expectations! AND HOLY CRAP ABOUT THAT FINALE! I won't spoil anything for you, but I'm totally starting a support group. If any of you need to talk just PM me and we'll talk all you want :) Here's some fun for those of you who suffered like I did with the episode tonight and need a pick me up. The fall can't come soon enough! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

After Grant and Leo found out that their wives were again pregnant, they decided to take them out for the day to pamper them since they had to go out of town to go see the obstetrician for a check up. Phil and Melinda were all too happy to watch Ian and Delilah and had a day of fun things planned.

The couples left after breakfast so Phil and Melinda decided to take the kids outside to go play on the swings. Ian kicked his legs as Melinda pushed him and Phil was sitting and swinging with Lyla in his lap giggling. After swinging, the kids wanted to play in the sandbox that they had put in recently. Melinda grabbed buckets and shovels and toys and all of them started building a sand castle. Melinda decided to go in and get some juice boxes for the little ones and when she came back out she couldn't help but laugh.

She was only gone for a few minutes, but Phil was already somehow covered in sand with a giggling Ian still dumping sand on him and Lyla toddling away to explore the yard. Phil looked over and locked eyes with Melinda. A look of desperation caught his face as he mouthed the world "help". Melinda just shook her head with a smirk on her face and winked at him, enjoying the sight of him getting covered in sand. She kept an eye on Lyla as she walked off, making sure she didn't go anywhere dangerous but wanting her to feel like she can explore her home. Mel loved her adventurous demeanor and felt she would be less scared to try new things once she grew up if they let her explore.

After a few minutes, Melinda walked over to pluck Delilah up off the ground to bring her back inside and handed her a juice which she promptly squeezed everywhere and giggled. Melinda's usually composed features screwed up in a scorn for a second and then promptly turned back into the same indifferent expression she used everyday as she calmly explained to Delilah that juice boxes aren't made to be squeezed. Phil laughed, happy to see that he wasn't the only adult getting ganged up on by a pair of toddlers. He got up from the sand and brushed it off letting some fall onto Ian, making the little boy laugh. "Alright you two. Time for a bath and then a nap."  
"But Uncle Phil! I'm not tired!"  
"Well let's get you cleaned up and then we'll see how you feel."

The group went inside and took a divide and concour approach; which they soon discovered was not the best idea. Phil bathed Ian and Melinda bathed Delilah. Ian had a small water gun that he played with in the bathtub. Phil didn't know it was in there and turned around to get shampoo when Ian started to shoot him with the water. Phil jumped and turned around and a water fight soon ensued, but a soaked Uncle Phil ended up getting Ian clean.

Melinda's shot at getting Delilah clean was not much more successful. She set Lyla into the water and started to get her cleaned up. They were both still sticky from the juice and found it was harder than she thought it would be to get the little one to cooperate. Lyla started waving her arms in the water and splashing. She loved the water and it showed every time she was plopped into it. Melinda was unprepared and slipped and fell into the water.  
Lyla giggled as Melinda fell in and shrieked "Yay Gamma! Gamma swim!" and then splashed more water. By the end of her bath she had more water outside of the tub than inside and Melinda was exhausted.

Phil and Melinda decided that it would be in their best interest not to split up anymore and attempted to put the kids down for a nap together. They put blankets and pillows out on the floor in the middle of the living room and all lied down. Phil and Melinda started reading stories and within the first few pages they were asleep. The kids however did not fall asleep as quickly as their adult babysitters. Ian promptly got up and walked down the hall and Lyla got up and followed shortly after.

Phil and Melinda awoke a short time later and immediately noticed that Ian and Delilah were no longer in the room with them. They looked around the room and Melinda rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I was a cop for ten years and it's two toddlers that finally get the slip on me." Phil laughed and got up and offered Mel his hand to help her get up off of the floor. The first place they looked was in the playroom and cursed when they saw that nobody was in it. Next they checked Lyla's room and noticed nobody was in there as well. They started to panic and ran up the stairs to Ian's room. They opened the door and stopped in their tracks. Ian and Lyla were lying on the bed each clutching their favorite stuffed animal. Mel leaned up against the door jamb and smiled at the sight of the kids taking their naps. Phil walked over and gently picked up Delilah and pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she snuggled her head more into his shoulder. He rubbed small circles on her back as he walked her into her own bed then went in search of his wife.

Phil found Melinda sprawled out rather ungracefully and still covered in juice on the couch in the front room of the mansion, too tired to move from it. He lifted her legs and sat down and placed them on his still partly sandy lap. He started rubbing her feet causing her to hum in appreciation and soon the pair were out cold snoring on the couch.

Grant, Skye, Leo, and Jemma got home a little while later to find the older couple still messy and sleeping on the couch. Grant chuckled and whispered, "Let them sleep for a bit" as he walked off in search of his daughter. Jemma went to look for Ian and Skye and Leo walked towards the kitchen to go get dinner ready. They figured the kids would be hungry and wanted the food to be ready for when they got up.

Grant walked into Lyla's room to find her and Ian sitting on the floor playing with blocks and giggling. He called down the hall to let Jemma know that Ian was in the room as well and the pair grabbed their kids and went downstairs to see what was going on in the kitchen. Before they got to the kitchen they decided to have a little fun at Phil and Melinda's expense. Grant and Jemma set the toddlers down and walked into the kitchen. The two kids quickly ran up to the couple on the couch and startled them awake. They started awake and then noticed the parents standing in the room. "Hey guys. Just letting the little ones run around while you sleep huh? Must be getting old if you fall asleep half way through. You guys look nice covered in sand a juice by the way." Everyone started to laugh.

"Very funny. We were watching them close. That's how we got so messy. They were in their beds when we fell asleep."

Grant laughed. "Yeah we know that. We brought them down to have a little fun. Come on. We made dinner." With that, everyone got up and walked to the dining room to have their dinner. They had a lot of fun talking about Phil and Melinda's day of babysitting and promised that they wouldn't have to do it alone very often. Skye and Jemma filled in Phil and Melinda on their appointments and Grant announced that him and Skye were expecting a baby boy. Congrats were said and Jemma and Skye laughed at the fact that there were going to be two more boys in the family and poor Delilah was going to be outnumbered. Skye had joked about trying for more and Jemma blushed. She had always planned on only have two kids, but Skye always said she wanted more. She never had a family growing up and wanted to make up for it and have a large one. Grant laughed because he never had thought about how kids he wanted, but knew that he would give Skye anything she wanted. The kids went to bed early since they didn't get much of a nap and the adults sat out on the patio and had drinks (aside from the pregnant Jemma and Skye who both decided on virgin margaritas) and visited with each other some more until it got late and the men carried their women to bed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Skyeward Date Night **

** Note: Hey guys! I noticed that I haven't had very much romance in this sequel so far and the finale was so brutal that I'm still suffering. So here's some romance! And then I'll follow it up with a date night for Fitzsimmons and then Mayson. I took out the dirty part of this chapter because I couldn't help thinking it was a bad idea to have it in there and it just didn't fit. So everything is back to normal. So I don't think I'm gonna have any smut in here, but maybe I'll try again in a future fic. Enjoy guys!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

Grant was laying with his pregnant wife sleeping in his arms during her afternoon nap and realized that it had been a while since he had taken her out on a date. Some afternoons he would take Delilah out to the garden after her nap and pick some flowers to bring to Skye. Sometimes he would bring her breakfast in bed in the morning. He always tried to do some sort of romantic gesture for her because he loved her and loved showing it, but he realized that especially since Delilah was born they hadn't gone out on a date together. They liked being home with their daughter and Skye was often tired with this pregnancy so they just usually stayed at home. _Tonight is going to be different_ he thought. He decided right then that they were going to go out tonight.

He carefully disentangled himself from her and went in search of Lyla. They picked some flowers and put them in a vase and set them on the night stand on Skye's side of the bed. He then walked over to Skye's closet and picked out a flowy purple dress that was low cut and showed off her fuller breasts, but was still tastefully flirty and went to just below her knees and showed off her baby bump without being too tight. He hung the dress up so she would see it when she walked into the bathroom and then jumped into the shower to freshen up before she woke up. He put on his dark washed blue jeans and a black t-shirt and leather jacket over it. Skye liked it when he had scruff on his face so he skipped shaving and brushed his teeth before pressing a kiss to Skye's forehead and then walking down the hall to ask the other occupants of the house if they could keep an eye on Lyla tonight.

Skye woke up to the smell of fresh cut flowers and smiled as she turned over in bed and noticed the vase sitting on her nightstand. She got out of bed and walked into the restroom and saw the dress hanging up with a note pinned to it that read **Wear Me **scrawled in Grant's chicken scratch hand writing. She smiled and jumped into the shower before taking extra care in doing her make up. She knew Grant liked it when she didn't wear much so she took a more natural approach with it and then put on the dress that Grant had picked out. She walked into their bedroom and plucked a daisy from the vase and put it behind her ear and with an extra bounce in her step walked out of the bedroom in search of her husband.

Skye stopped at the door to the play room at the sight of her Adonis of a husband reading a story to their daughter, goofy voices and all causing the little girl to giggle. To this day Skye never tired of watching him, especially when Delilah was involved. They were so worried to start a family to begin with but she felt blessed. Grant was a natural with their daughter and it was times like this that she really noticed it. She smiled and sat down next to him and Lyla's eyes lit up at seeing her mom. She jumped out of her dad's lap and into her mom's arms and Skye ran her fingers through her hair. "Hey baby. Are you reading with daddy?".

Lyla grinned and nodded and showed her the book. "We're reading Night Night Moon!"

Skye laughed and kissed the top of her head. "It's Goodnight Moon, love."

"That's what I said, Mommy."

Grant chuckled and looked over at Skye. "You look stunning by the way, babe. I'm glad you put on the dress I picked. Doesn't Mommy look pretty, Lyla?" Delilah promptly agreed with her dad that her mom looked very pretty like a princess and then ran down the hall to go play with her Grandma and Grandpa.

Grant helped Skye get up off the floor and walked into the movie room where Phil and Melinda were to tell them that they were leaving. Lyla was snuggled up in between her grandparents looking perfectly content as her parents kissed her bye.

Grant held the door open for Skye as she got into the car and then pressed a kiss to her hand before closing the door and taking his place in the driver's seat.

"So where are we going tonight?" Skye asked as she rested her hand on Grant's knee.

He placed his hand over hers and chuckled. "You'll find out soon. I promise you'll love it though."

Skye leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek at a stop light and then settled in her seat. She trusted Grant and in the past he had always picked something fun for the both of them. Her eyes lit up when she saw where they were going to. "Oh my gosh! A buffet?! Score!"

Grant laughed at her reaction. He knew that when Skye was pregnant, all normal eating habits were off and her favorite place to eat was a buffet. She never cared about the weird looks she got, like that one time they came and she put cottage cheese all over her spaghetti. Grant was a doting husband even then, and would glare at anyone who dared look at her weird for what was on her plate and was quick to get up and plate whatever she wanted as many times as she wanted. He was just happy that she was happy and she was his, weird eating habits and all. He parked the car and walked around to her side of the car to open the door and link her arm in his as they walked in. Chivalry wasn't dead when it came to him and his wife and he always got a kick out of the old ladies that always seemed to think it was adorable that he doted on her. Skye loved that he was so much bigger than her and made her feel safe wherever they went. Grant loved taking her out because he got a kick out of the fact that men would stare at her, but she always only had eyes for him. The disappointed looks were always fun for him.

After dinner they got into the car and Grant made sure she was up to another destination. "As long as it isn't dancing at a club I think little Grant Ward Jr. and I will be fine." He beamed at the mention of their son and kissed her palm. "Well then let's go."

Skye looked confused as they arrived at the next destination. She looked over at Grant as he walked around to open her door. He grabbed a bag out of the trunk and then walked her over to the swings. She sat down and he pushed her in the swing for a bit before pulling a blanket out at the bottom of the steps and pulling out battleship, a book, and a thermos of hot chocolate. He pulled Skye up from the swing by her hand and handed her a mug of the hot chocolate. She sat with her legs tucked underneath her and looked up at him confused. "What in the world are we doing at the orphanage?"

Grant smiled at her and took a sip of his hot chocolate as he set up the game of battleship. "I bet you didn't know this... I've never told you... but I saw you that night that I moved into town and took a walk late at night. You were sitting..." Grant paused and patted the next step up from where he was sitting "Right here... with your head in Jemma's lap before you sat up after seeing me. I was watching you before you even noticed me and I knew at that moment that I wanted to know you."

Skye opened her eyes wide as they misted up. She had no idea that he had felt that way about her so early on, let alone noticed her that night. She always thought Grant's feelings for her were more of a slow burn that gradually came on, but in reality it turned out that they hit him like a ton of bricks on a speeding train and he had no warning. She came into his life and he needed her like he needed air. And she knew exactly how he felt.

After finishing their hot chocolate and a game of battleship, Skye and Grant decided to call it a night. They wanted to kiss their daughter goodnight and warm up in a warm bath. Grant opened the car door for Skye to get in and drove them up the hill to the mansion. He took her hand and they walked up the stairs to Lyla's room and saw her sleeping in bed. They each pressed a kiss to her forehead and brushed some hair out of her face and together walked to their restroom. Skye threw her hair up into a messy bun, not wanting to get it wet and ran her hands along her arms to try to warm herself up.

Skye was hit with the realization that she was cold as Grant ran some hot water for a bath. The two of them enjoyed a nice long bath to warm up. Once the water cooled off they drained the water and Grant picked Skye up in a towel and carried her to bed. They were both completely exhausted by the end of the night and Skye pressed a lazy kiss to his lips as she whispered "Thank you for tonight. The whole day was perfect. I love you" He grinned and kissed her back whispering "I love you too" before she snuggled into him and promptly fell asleep pressed up against the warmth that was her husband, Grant Ward.

**One more note: I'm still taking ideas for stuff you guys would like to see in this and am also taking prompts if you guys wanna PM me. I love the ideas you guys have had so far and have had so much fun writing them!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: A Fitzsimmons Date Night**

**Note: Yay for more fluff! It's time for Fitz and Jemma to have their date night! Thanks for all of the lovely reviews and kind things you guys say! I'm working on fitting in your suggestions and as always, more all always welcome!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool! Boo for the hiatus until fall!**

Jemma was having a smooth second pregnancy and Leo was grateful for it. She was so panicked and demanding the first time around, that it seemed like she got it all out of her system. It was the fact that she had been feeling so well with this pregnancy that caused her to approach Leo one morning with an idea.

Leo was taking apart a toy with Ian when she walked into the room. "Leo dear, why don't we go out and do something this afternoon? Like a date?" Leo looked up from the toy he was "upgrading" and turned to face the pregnant Jemma standing in the door way.

Leo of course would follow Jemma wherever she went and do whatever she wanted. "Well of course, love. That sounds like a splendid idea. What did you have in mind?"

Jemma pulled a flyer out of a pocket in her maternity dress (because YES pockets are awesome in dresses and I think all dresses should have them) and showed Leo. He looked at the flyer, then jumped up to give her a hug. She laughed as he planted kisses all over her face. "Really? You're gonna be up to that?!" She nodded and he quickly ran out of the room to change.

Ian gave Jemma a funny look, "Mummy, is daddy okay?"

"Yes love. He's just very happy. I'll be sure to send him in before we leave so he can fix the toy you two were working on." She smiled and ran her fingers through his short cut hair on top of his head as Ian stood up and gave her a hug.

Jemma walked in search of Skye and Grant to let them know that they were going out and Ian would need to be looked after. Skye was more than happy to take care of Ian for the night if it meant that Jemma and Leo could enjoy a night out together. Ever since she and Grant had their date night, she had been relaxed and ridiculously happy and felt Jemma and Leo needed one too. So it was after that conversation that Skye stood at the doorway holding Ian's hand as they waved bye to Jemma and Leo.

They drove to the next town over. Leo was giddy like a child and Jemma was excited, but more able to contain herself. Easy conversation had always flowed easily between the couple and tonight was no exception as Leo spoke a mile a minute with Jemma easily keeping up. Leo pulled into a parking space up front and placed a hand on the small of Jemma's back as they walked into the building. "I can't believe we're doing a cooking class! This is going to be so much fun! Have I ever mentioned you're the best wife ever?!" Leo opened up the door of the class for his wife to walk through and smiled as she pressed a kiss to his cheek as she walked by.

The room was large with two other sets of couples and then some single people looking to meet others. There were stoves set up along a back wall of the room and a large island counter top in the middle of the room. Stools were set up and Jemma and Leo each took one. They sat across from an elderly couple who smiled when they sat down. The class soon filled up and everyone else took a seat. They were baking today. Leo was excited at the fact because he didn't bake much. Skye and Jemma always made cookies and Leo could bake a mean cake and a few different types of pastries, but that was the extent of his knowledge of baking. Jemma sat up straight and ran her hands along the top of her baby bump. She had engaged in some small talk with the elderly couple across the island from them when they had inquired about their baby. Talking about their second boy always made her immediately start to stroke her stomach and often lasted longer than she realized she was even doing it.

The teacher started to explain to the group that they were baking a mini quiche so each of them could add whatever ingredients they wanted to. When the teacher instructed them to preheat the ovens behind them, Leo jumped up and insisted on turning on Jemma's for her so she wouldn't have to get up and down. She blushed when she got jealous looks from some of the single women and then smiled and thanked Leo when he came back, proud of himself that he had done that small gesture for his wife. "I like doing things for you."

The teacher then instructed everyone on how many eggs to add and milk and then let them all pick what ingredients they wanted to add to the base. Leo went for almost everything he could find and only stopped once the teacher instructed him that if he put too much in, it wouldn't cook right. He nodded with an "Of course." and then turned to help Jemma grab the few ingredients she wanted. She took a more healthy approach with her toppings, wanting to try to eat healthier than normal when she was pregnant (unless a craving hit and then all bets were off). Leo walked both of their quiches to the ovens and set them in and then the class was able to visit and have drinks while it all cooked. Leo was content to focus all of his attention of Jemma, always sitting or standing near her and touching her in some way whether it was holding her hand or a hand on the small of her back. Jemma however, was always a social person and while she was sure to include her husband in all of her conversations, still chose to talk to others as well while they waited for their food to cook. The ovens started to ding one by one and everyone settled back to the island counter top with their food.

Leo and Jemma took turns feeding each other pieces of their food and Leo was excited at having a new recipe to try with everyone. "The kids will love this! We can let them put their own ingredients in before they cook!" Jemma laughed at his excitement and was looking forward to trying the recipe again at home. She enjoyed it and found it was an easy recipe that they could use for any meal. Once Leo started talking about experimenting with the recipe a bit she rolled her eyes and nudge his shoulder, knowing exactly what experimenting with the recipe would do. It usually ended in something blown up or someone covered head to toe. They thanked the teacher for all she taught them and tucked away their recipes as they got back into the car.

"Are you up for one more stop, love?"

Jemma assured him that she was and sat back as it was now his turn to surprise her. She noticed they drove for a bit before stopping at a bakery. She looked at him confused and he winked at her before pulling her out of the car.

"Skye helped me find it. I told her what I wanted to do for date night and she was immediately on board. This bakery is owned by a bloke from the UK. He specializes in British Desserts!" Leo was excited by the time the last sentence left his mouth. His excitement doubled when he noticed Jemma's eyes light up.

"Leo. Have I ever mentioned how much I love you and how amazing you are to me?" She pressed a kiss to his lips and jumped into his arms before quickly turning to head inside. Leo chuckled at her excitement. He knew she had been craving English Pudding and as many different recipes as he had tried with just as many ingredients, they just never quite hit the spot. She had always felt bad whenever he presented her with a new recipe that just didn't quite do it. "I promise, Fitz. The recipe really is lovely, but for some reason it just isn't quite doing it." Leo would assure her that he understood and then would go back and try again. He knew that there was something different about ordering food at a restaurant and figured that was exactly what she needed.

Jemma was immediately hit with the smells of the bakery as she walked in the door. There was the smell of fresh-cooked bread and a sweet smell that hovered in the background from all of the desserts. She looked at all the different desserts displayed at the counter and squealed at finding exactly what she wanted. "English pudding!" she exclaimed and then smiled when Leo ordered two servings and brought them to the table for her and him to eat together. She took a bite of the dessert and a small moan escaped her lips. "Oh my gosh Leo; this is divine! I can't thank you enough for this!" and he laughed at seeing her so happy with his choice of dessert for their date. Jemma went back to the counter and ordered two more servings to go "because I just know I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night wanting more" and then ordered desserts for everyone else at the house. Leo smiled at his wife as she came back to the table with two large bags full of treats. No matter what they were doing or where they were, she always thought of everyone else as well. He promptly took the bags from her and then escorted her back to the car.

Jemma fell asleep on the car ride home, clearly exhausted from all of the excitement and food they ate. They pulled into the drive and he left Jemma in the car while he ran inside to put the desserts in the fridge. He came back out and woke up his wife so they could walk upstairs and check on Ian. It wasn't very late and they stood at the doorway and smiled when they saw that Lyla and Ian were "camping" in his room with Skye. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor reading the two toddlers a book underneath a giant blanket fort that they were sure Skye had Grant and Phil build for them. Ian looked up and noticed his parents standing at the doorway and jumped up to greet them. "Mummy, daddy! Uncle Grant and Uncle Phil made us a fort! Look!" They allowed him to pull them over and were impressed to notice the size of the actual blanket fort and the flashlights scattered inside to keep it well-lit. Leo and Jemma sat down on the large pillows with the little ones while Skye finished the story and then the three adults got up when the kids fell asleep and turned off all of the flashlights except for one.

Skye said goodnight to Leo and Jemma after tucking Lyla in and went off in search of her husband as Leo and Jemma walked towards their own bedroom. The day was a complete success and both were in a very good mood. Jemma found herself energized by the short power nap she took on the way home and decided it was the perfect opportunity to properly thank her Leo for the wonderful day. Afterwards, they were blissfully exhausted and curled up together in bed and promptly fell asleep, not waking up until late the next morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Philinda Date Night**

**Note: Hey all! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I feel awful! Life has been crazy (which I can't complain too much about) and I just haven't had a moment to breathe and write. Luckily I do now so hopefully I'll be able to update more regularly again. Thanks for hanging in there with me and all of your amazing comments! They make me smile. Hopefully this Philinda fluff will make you hate me less? :) *I am not responsible for any cavities produced from this sappy chapter. haha**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool! Boo for the hiatus until fall! At least we have a season 2!**

Phil and Melinda made sure to always have a date night once a week. They would normally go for walks to escape the bustle of little feet, but wouldn't usually stay out for too long since they found they actually enjoyed the patter of the little ones around the mansion and found the quiet too quiet now.

Phil wanted to surprise Melinda this week. Usually he or Melinda would just casually bring up in conversation that they wanted to go out and do something and then they would do it. This week however, Phil was in a good mood. He had gotten a new ultrasound of his grandson, both of the pregnant women were in good moods, and the kids were good all week. He decided to use the adorable toddlers in his house to his advantage and put his plan into action. Melinda usually got up before he did in the morning since she enjoyed waking up to a yoga routine. He used that time carefully this morning when he rolled out of bed shortly after she did. He had a few things to take care of before he involved Lyla and Ian in his plans.

The first thing Phil did was write out one note and then get his gift and put them into two separate envelopes so sticky hands wouldn't harm them. He pressed a flower into each envelope before sealing it and then carefully wrote out _To My Love _on the front of each one. He quietly chuckled to himself, knowing that she would roll her eyes at his blatant attempt at corny and then went in search of his grand daughter and nephew.

The two children were found eating breakfast when he walked downstairs. He smiled at their excited greetings, always happy as soon as he saw how happy his presence made them, especially Lyla. She bounced in her chair until he came over and hugged her and let her press a kiss to his cheek before ruffling Ian's hair making him giggle. He then walked over and pressed a kiss to Skye's cheek who was in charge of feeding the little ones this morning and then nodded towards Grant who of course was never far from his wife, always keeping a watchful eye on her. Skye's eyes twinkled at the affection, never growing tired of it, and he smiled as he sat down next to her. She was sipping her tea while Grant made some breakfast for the pair. Phil gently nudged Skye with his shoulder. "Good morning. I was hoping to steal the kids for a few minutes after they got done eating."

Skye noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes and smiled. "I was wondering what purpose you had to grace us with your presence for early morning breakfast. Do I need to be worried about what you are asking the children to do for you?" Grant perked up from across the kitchen, where he stood making breakfast for him and his wife, clearly intrigued in the conversation between his wife and father figure.

Phil chuckled and feigned astonishment. "You know I would never involve the kids in anything questionable and it pains me to think that you think that way of me."

Grant snorted from across the room and Skye skillfully raised an eyebrow (clearly she had been spending too much time with Grant). "You mean like when you decided you were going to make a slip n slide in the ballroom? Or how about the lizard hunting in the back yard? And how about the one time you thought it would be okay for them to race their big wheels down the hall?"

Phil waved off her concerns. "Those were great ideas that turned out fun and nobody was hurt. Think of the great memories! And I do recall other occupants of the house joining in." Skye laughed. "Actually I was thinking of wooing my wife with a date night out of the house tonight and wanted the kids to be the ones to deliver her the notes I wrote her." Skye let out an awww and Grant rolled his eyes knowing that she would be talking about it all day and he would have to come up with something new to surprise her with (which didn't necessarily bother him). Skye agreed to get the kids cleaned up and the two toddlers immediately got excited at helping Phil. "Yay, surprise! Yay, surprise!" could be heard from down the hall as they were changed into their clothes for the day. Phil just shook his head and smiled as he thanked every deity in existence that Mel was in the shower at this point and couldn't hear any of this.

A smile crossed Melinda's face as she walked into the dining room after her shower to meet Phil for their brunch they were having this morning. Phil had elaborately spread out all of the food and a bouquet of flowers sat on the table. He held a mimosa in each hand and handed one to her as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips when she walked into the room. "You went to a lot of trouble this morning."

"It's never any trouble at all when it's for you."

Melinda laughed at his reply and sat down at the table and let Phil push in her chair. He took the seat across from her and they started to eat, never having much conversation between them and enjoying the company of the other. He casually asked her how her yoga went and she asked him if he'd seen the little ones yet this morning. When they were half way done with their meal Ian came walking in with an envelope. Phil smiled and Melinda gave him a curious look before turning her attention to the little boy. "Hey buddy. What do you have there?"

"I have a present for you, Auntie Mel!" he replied with a proud smile and an outstretched arm that presented the letter. The outside read _To My Love. _She gave Ian a kiss on the top of his head and sent him on his way as she gave Phil a look and opened the letter, but not before rolling her eyes. She smiled at seeing the pressed flower and closed her eyes as she took in the smell of it.

_Melinda, _

_Your laughter is music to my ears_

_Your smile is my sun in the morning_

_Watching you with the kids fills my heart with love_

_But it is when you and I have time alone that makes me the happiest._

Melinda looked over at Phil and shook her head as a smile graced her features. "You are unbelievable Phil. You never cease to amaze me with what you do." She moved to get up from her chair as Lyla came bursting into the room.

"Gamma! Gamma! I have a present for you!" She flew into Melinda's lap and proudly displayed the letter and pressed a kiss to her cheek and hugged her tight before jumping off and running back out of the room to her mother. "Mommy! I did good?!" Melinda laughed at the little girl and then looked down at the envelope that said the same as the last and then to her smug husband.

She opened the envelope and treated the pressed flower in this envelope with the same care as the last and then gasped as two tickets to a concert fell out. A traveling orchestra was in town for the weekend and Phil knew how much she wanted to see them. Melinda jumped out of her chair and into Phil's arms, grateful that he knew her so well. The tickets were for that night and she excitedly kissed him all over his face. She promptly told him that she had to go start getting ready to leave this afternoon and Phil laughed, knowing how rarely she got this excited and knew he did something very right when he later saw Skye and Jemma helping Mel get ready for their date.

Grant and Phil were sitting in the living room having a drink and watching the little ones while they waited for Melinda to come down with the girls. Leo was in the kitchen starting on an early dinner for the rest of the house. Melinda came walking down the stairs a few minutes later and Phil stood up with his mouth agape. She was never one for dressing up, but tonight she decided to. She gracefully walked down the stairs in a black dress with capped sleeves and a scooped neckline. Her dark brown hair was softly curled and flowed freely around her face and down her back and shoulders. Her make up was tastefully done with red lips and smokey eye shadow along her lids. Grant whistled and Melinda smirked as Phil shook his head and gave her a sinful smile. Skye and Jemma stood at the top of the stairs smiling at the older couple and made their way to their husbands after Melinda reached the bottom. Lyla and Ian complimented Melinda on how pretty she looked and she said thank you before taking Phil's hand and walking out the door.

Phil and Melinda had been looking forward to this orchestra for a long time and had plans to go see the concert and then made reservations at a restaurant in town after. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers as he helped her into the car. "You look radiant tonight, dear. I still can't believe all this time that you stick around with silly me. I love you for it, though. It makes me happy to take you out and see all of the jealous looks."

Melinda laughed and pressed a kiss to his cheek when he got into the driver's seat of the car and replied, "Phil you're ridiculous sometimes, but you know I love you. Not very many men are as thoughtful as you are." She lightly pressed her thumb to his cheek to smear off the lipstick that had gotten on his cheek and he leaned into her touch. "You know Mel, we could always skip dinner after the concert and have dessert." She laughed at him. "Or we could have dinner and then have more energy for dessert." He winked at her and started the drive into town.

They enjoyed the concert. Phil had gotten them great seats and enjoyed all of the jealous looks his way as he walked in with his graceful and elegant wife on his arm. Phil enjoyed the chello section while Melinda was more of a harp and violin lover. They both sat close together throughout the show and laced their fingers together as they sat engulfed in the songs. The only time they weren't physically touching the other was during the intermission when each of them had gone to the restroom. By the end of the show they were starving and glad they had made reservations and didn't have to wait to sit in the seafood restaurant. They leisurely ate their food, every so often feeding each other pieces and talking in between bites about the concert. Melinda was in a good mood, always a small smile gracing her lips and Phil was as always entranced by his better half sitting next to him. They skipped dessert and settled for heading back home.

They took a walk in the garden and sat down at the bench underneath Mel's tree. "Thank you for tonight, Phil. You're too good to me."

"You know I get the most joy out of doing things for you. It's my best work!" He wrapped an arm around her and she laughed as she tucked more into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. Phil hummed at the feel of Melinda in his arms and she sighed before sitting up and pressing a kiss to his temple and whispering in his ear. "You know Phil. I'd like to _properly _thank you for tonight. With that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up off of the bench before sneaking into the house and up to their room so Melinda could thank him for the rest of the night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Bonding With the Fitz Family!**

**Note: Another chapter brought to you as a suggestion of the amazing LisaMichelle! I hope I do it justice! It might not be as long as the date chapters, but I think it's still cute! BTW I'm American, but when I have Ian or Leo or Jemma talk I use "Mummy" and stuff. I just figured thats how they would talk. If I use any of it wrong, I'm not trying to offend anyone, I promise. Just let me know if I need to change something. I hope you guys enjoy and thanks SO much for all of your awesome reviews and favorites. They mean alot to me :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

Jemma was a few months pregnant when her and Leo decided they wanted spend the day with Ian. They felt like they were preoccupied with their new little one on the way and didn't want Ian to feel left out. They had always made a point to spend time with him, but lately Jemma found herself worrying more that she wasn't there enough for him. Sure, they always spent time together with the rest of the members of the household, but sometimes they wanted to have time together with just themselves.

So it was on a warm and sunny morning that Jemma and Leo woke up little Ian with a soft kiss to his cheek and an exciting day planned. They were going to be doing their favorite things together and knew Ian would be excited.

The pair got Ian dressed and walked down to have some breakfast with the rest of the house. Everyone talked to each other and Ian told everyone about how excited he was to spend the day with his "Mummy and Daddy".

The first thing that the couple had planned after breakfast was to skype with their family in the UK. It was something they tried to do once a week and Ian always found it extremely entertaining to see his whole family in the UK on a computer screen. The first time they had done it, he looked so confused and then tried to look behind the computer to see if they were standing behind it. Jemma and Leo were able to skype with both sets of their parents. Skye had hooked it up at the mansion for them and they found they used it a ton, especially after Ian was born. Ian told them all about his favorite toys (a monkey stuffed animal and blocks) and his favorite movie at the time (Monsters Inc.). He talked to them about Lyla (she's not a boy, but she's good at playing blocks) and how good he's getting at swimming. He would then sit on the floor and play with his blocks for a bit with one parent while the other would visit with their parents.

After Skyping, they played with him in the toy room which usually entailed Leo and Ian tearing half the toys apart and putting them back together or combining them to make even better toys. Ian was fascinated with how his dad always knew how to make toys better and had more than once approached him during the day when a toy broke. Throughout their playing, Jemma would assist and Ian would ask a million questions about everything. He saw his mom as a walking and talking encylopedia and thought she knew everything. He'd be in the middle of tearing a toy apart and then look over at his mom and ask "Mummy, why is it warm outside?" and she would of course give him the super simplified version of how the sun was very hot and made it warm outside during the day so he could go out and play.

Lunch time came around and Leo and Jemma cooked with Ian as their helper. They kept a chair up against the counter so he could climb up and watch any time he wanted. They always gave him something to mix in a bowl or break apart with his hands and everyone saw it as a win-win. He was getting to help and have fun with it and Jemma was happy because it helped develop his fine motor skills and let them do something together as a family. Today, they were having a picnic in the backyard. Jemma set out a blanket as Leo carried out the food with Ian's help. The small family had a nice picnic with minimal mess (Ian was a well behaved child unless Lyla was around to play with) and then played outside on the jungle gym for a bit.

It was soon time for Ian's nap so Jemma and Leo took him to tuck him in.

"But Mummy, Daddy! I'm not tired! Naps are for babies!"

"We're going to take our nap too while you take yours, Ian. Even grown ups have naps sometimes."

"Nap with me!" he replied with a huge grin.

Leo and Jemma looked at him and knew they weren't going to fit in his bed. "Come on monkey. Let's go take our nap in Mummy and Daddy's bed." Leo and Jemma each took a hand and the three of them walked to the hallway where the parents' rooms were. They didn't normally let Ian sleep with them, but they believed that it wouldn't hurt every once in a while. If he had a bad dream he would seek them out at night and stay with them for a bit and then Leo would pick him up and carry him back to his bed once he fell asleep. Naps usually didn't end with bad dreams, but sometimes if he wasn't feeling well he would ask to take his nap with them and they would let him cuddle up and sleep with his parents. So today was one of those special days when the three of them climbed into the large bed that Leo and Jemma shared and Leo read a book on cooking while Jemma and Ian promptly fell asleep.

Jemma woke up to Ian jumping on the bed and Leo laughing. She stretched her arms out and then pulled Ian in for a hug and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" she laughed and Ian squealed in delight, loving how the rhyme included monkeys. He unsurprisingly inherited his father's love of monkeys and loved being called Monkey by his parents. His favorite stuffed animal (a monkey of course) sat on the bed with him and his parents. He always had it with him. He named it "Officer Monk Monk" because he wore a cop outfit and chased away any bad things. Ian grabbed Officer Monk Monk and rolled out of bed. It was time for his parents to make dinner and he wanted to help.

Jemma was at the point in her pregnancy where she was no longer sensitive to food smells. She would just sometimes have off days or an aversion to only one or two foods. She missed spending time with Leo in the kitchen; it was one of the things that had brought them together afterall. Ian propped himself up on his chair next to the counter and got to mixing whatever his parents put in front of him. Dinner was ready shortly after and the family gathered at the dinner table with the other occupants of the house. Phil and Melinda were looking more at peace, being able to have the day to themselves. Grant and Skye were settling Lyla in to her chair and Leo and Jemma looked around the table and smiled at the controlled chaos that occurred when the group got together. They definitely enjoyed living with the large group.

Dinner was finished and everyone decided to watch a movie together. Skye and Grant had a bonding day with Lyla so nobody had the opportunity to visit together and figured sitting together and watching a movie would be fun. They popped in Frozen and all snuggled up on the couches with the little ones on a blanket on the floor with toys in front of them. The grown ups quietly visited while watching the movie and the kids sang along and danced whenever songs came on.

Lyla and Ian were out cold by the time the second movie ended and their dads' picked them up to carry them to bed. The adult group decided to move to the game room and play charades for a bit (which Leo and Jemma won since they were ridiculously in sync all the time) and then called it a night. The parents went to bed and Phil and Melinda decided to walk around the garden for a bit before heading off to sleep. Leo and Jemma however, spent the rest of their night locked away in their bedroom watching Doctor Who and snuggling up close to each other.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Bonding With The Wards!**

** Note: Here's the Ward's day to bond. I'm loving the suggestions so far. More are always welcomed. I hope you guys in the states enjoy your long weekend as much as I have! My birthday is Tuesday so I'm not sure if I'll get another chapter up before then, but I'll try!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

While Leo and Jemma were spending the day with Ian, Skye and Grant decided that they would spend the day with Lyla. They always made time for her, but sometimes they liked having a day where they would focus only on her and the three of them would spend time together with just themselves. Today was one of those days so they could give Phil and Melinda the day away from little ones since Leo and Jemma were already planning on spending the day with Ian. It worked out perfect.

Lyla's day usually started with her toddling down the hall and around the corner to where her parents slept and today was no different. She had surprised them the first time she wandered into their room, but soon her parents realized how adventurous she was and came to look forward to it. Grant was always up reading in bed while Skye slept in anyways so he of course was ready to play with his baby girl. She burst through the door, ran through the gym that her dad used, into Skye and Ward's bedroom, and over to the bed to be picked up and thrown into it. She would giggle as she flopped into the bed and then snuggle up inbetween her parents who would turn and encircle her into a snug little sandwich and go back to sleep for a few more minutes until they woke her up for breakfast.

Skye and Grant would walk her back to her room to get her dressed before walking down to the kitchen for their family breakfast that they always took place in. Skye and Grant enjoyed being outdoors and it clearly rubbed off onto Lyla. After breakfast the three of them went outside to play on the jungle gym. Skye sat on the swing next to Lyla while Grant pushed both of them. Lyla loved to swing and Grant and Phil had installed a child swing with a seat on it so she could sit in it by herself and be pushed. Melinda had spent many morning pushing the young girl so her mom and dad could get some alone time.

After swinging Lyla had wanted to go swimming. Grant and Lyla went in the pool while Skye sat with her toes in the water. She felt weird about being in the water while pregnant even though Jemma had explained to her that it was great exercise. Lyla bobbed in the water lashing it around her with her arms and her life vest on while Grant took turns swimming between Skye and Delilah. When Leo and Jemma showed up a short time later to have a picnic lunch outside Grant plucked Delilah out of the water to go have lunch indoors so the Fitz's could enjoy their alone time.

The Wards had a picnic in the house. Skye and Grant took turns helping Lyla eat and feeding each other. Skye had playfully put some whipped cream on her hubby's nose so she could lick it off, which gave Lyla the idea to start a food fight. Luckily she couldn't throw the food very far and the mess was easily cleaned up. After lunch they called Gramsy, who refused to get Skype. "I come out and visit my great granddaughter every couple of weeks. What do I need Skype for in between for?" was her excuse. So today they called Gramsy and talked on the phone for a bit before tucking Lyla in for a nap. Skye and Gramsy had gotten close since the day she had met the older woman, and Grant would often find his wife on the phone with his grandma asking for baby or pregnancy advise.

While Lyla took a nap, Skye and Ward relaxed for a bit in their library where Skye snuggled up to Grant in an oversized chair and listened to him read out loud for a bit before she ended up falling asleep as well. She was woken up to a kiss on her cheek and Grant informing her that it was time to wake up their daughter.

After Lyla's nap, Skye and Grant went in search of Phil and Melinda. Lyla loved spending time with her grandparents and Skye and Grant tried to always include them in plans. They found the older couple in Melinda's office. Delilah immediately walked towards Phil who scooped her up in a big hug and promptly started to sweep her around the room like she was an airplane. Her giggles filled the room and Melinda smiled at the pair. She loved seeing Phil play with Delilah. The toddler was good for them and brought a happy kind of chaos to their lives. After Phil set her down she walked over to Melinda and gave her a hug and showed her a book she had picked up. Melinda kept a toy box in her office full of books and stuffed animals for when Delilah spent time in there. She sat down cross legged with Lyla in her lap and read her the children's story while Phil watched. Just like his other half, he enjoyed seeing her interract with Lyla. It brought out a softer side of her that he never got to see before.

The family went and watched a movie before dinner where they met up with the Fitz half of the family. Everyone had what ended up being an animated dinner. They hadn't been all together all day and now everyone was catching up. Even the kids seemed to babble to each other in their high chairs and Ian was sure to help Lyla with her food.

More movies were watched after dinner and Lyla and Ian fell asleep on the floor. Grant went to pick up his daughter and she stirred awake as he placed her into her bed. "Daddy, story." And with a smirk Grant started to read her a story before bed. She of course fell asleep only three pages in, curled up to Skye who had fallen asleep with her. Grant's voice always lulled Skye to sleep and lying in bed listening to him read with her daughter's warmth curled up against her didn't change that fact. Grant chuckled as he got up to pick up his tiny, pregnant wife and carry her to bed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Mel and Phil's Day Off**

**Note: Here's chapter 13! I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever and feel terrible about it. Here is a kind of short chapter about Mel and Phil's day off from the kids. I promise to post a really long chapter tomorrow to make up for the gap in between chapters and then the short chapter tonight. I still appreciate all of your super amazing comments! Shout out to LisaMichelle25 for probably one of the most epic comments I've ever gotten. Thank you shenaynadine for the birthday wishes :) And of course thank you everyone else for the comments and follows and favorites. They make me smile.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

Phil and Melinda enjoyed having little ones in the house with them, but they still enjoyed the days when they would treat it like an "in home vacation" and spend the day locked away from everyone or out of the house. They took their time waking up in the morning because they were going to have the day to themselves. They started their day the same way they always started it, just a little bit later in the morning. Melinda woke up before Phil to do her yoga and once Phil woke up shortly later, he could be found sitting and admiring his wife's yoga routine while reading a book. Afterwards they would have their coffee, usually without much more than a short conversation, before meeting everyone else for breakfast. They never had much conversation in the morning. Mornings for them were when they really enjoyed the company of the other and loved just having them in the room with them. Melinda was always one with few words regardless, and Phil often spoke too much, but it was in the mornings or when the two of them were alone that their conversation was perfectly balanced.

After the pair had their breakfast, they decided to sit together and read. They thrived on just being in the company of the other and enjoying companionable silence. Both of them enjoyed reading and found themselves engrossed in their books until lunch time. Melinda walked with her arm tucked into Phil's to a small diner down the street. Phil had discovered it and soon fell in love with it shortly after they moved in and found that it was decorated with a vintage flare. It was done up like a fifty's diner with old props from movie sets as decorations. It wasn't a large diner, but it boasted bar seating, booths, and tables that were always full. Melinda enjoyed it because it made Phil's face light up like a child and they had good coffee. They sat in their normal booth by the window next to the large red 1962 Chevy Corvette. Phil sat next to Mel in the booth and quietly made fun of other patrons together in the restaurant. People watching was a secret guilty pleasure for both of them and one that had shocked Phil when he had found out so many years ago that they had the hobby in common. They could sit for their whole meal and find something interesting about everyone. Melinda would theorize to times back when she was a cop and joke with Phil on what she thought each person would be arrested for.

Phil made it a habit to write a small love note to Melinda on his napkin each time they came to the restaurant. It wasn't something he ever planned on doing, but she would be sitting there tucked into his side and he couldn't help himself. It was only a couple of words each time, but she'd smile every time and say thank you and press a kiss to his cheek as she tucked it into a pocket. He didn't even know she kept every single note he wrote to her in a drawer in her desk in her office. After their lunch they leisurely walked back to their home and decided to walk around the garden for a bit. They always felt full after eating and found that taking a walk together allowed them an escape from the full feeling. He would occasionally pluck a flower and hand it to his wife causing her to smile and smell the flower. She collected the flowers and held them together in a bouquet and then walked to the kitchen to put them into a vase. They walked into her office to set them on her desk and were soon met by Skye, Grant and Lyla.

They loved being Delilah's grandparents. Phil and Melinda were never able to have children of their own and were happy when they found out that Skye and Grant wanted them to be Delilah's grandparents. They doted on the small girl and she clearly loved them. Mel smiled as Lyla ran into her grandfather's arms who then proceeded to "swoosh" her around the room like an airplane. Lyla's giggles filled the room and Melinda couldn't help but let out a small laugh. After the flight was done, Lyla made her way over to her and she promptly gave her a hug. She noticed that Lyla had picked a book out of the toy chest that Mel had put into her office and proceeded to read her the short story while Grant and Skye visited with Phil and bonded over the new little one that was supposed to make his debut in a few months. Melinda was excited for another baby to dote on and looked forward to adding some blue toys to Lyla's toy chest. She just hoped the new arrival would want to spend as much time with her and Phil as Lyla has. She had put the toy chest in her office once Lyla started toddling around on her own and found herself in the room often. Melinda encouraged her to be in the room all she wanted. She never wanted Lyla to think she wasn't allowed to spend time with her grandparents.

After the story, the group decided to go upstairs and watch a movie before dinner. They all snuggled up on the couches and Phil and Melinda sat with Lyla between the two of them. After the movie was finished they sat down to their dinner together and caught up with the Fitz's. Lots of conversation flowed and they all decided that they would watch a movie before the little ones went to bed. They got through a movie and a half before the parents left to take the little ones to bed. Phil and Melinda weren't close to being tired yet so they walked back downstairs and into the garden for their nightly stroll.

The garden took on a different whimsical feel at night that they always enjoyed, even if they had just walked through it during the day. The lights along the paths and in the trees and tall plants would always be lit late into the night just for when they wanted to walk through. They walked slowly and Phil took pleasure in pressing soft kisses to Melinda's hands and cheek. They got to her bench where they always sat and Phil surprised her somehow with a tub of ice cream. She had no idea where he had it hidden throughout their walk, but she still smiled as he held out two spoons, giving her one and taking the other.

They both had discovered long ago that they enjoyed Rocky Road ice cream. Melinda liked it plain and Phil liked it with chocolate syrup on top. They would eat the ice cream straight out of the container together, with Phil adding chocolate syrup to his side. Every once in a while they would feed a bite to the other and when Phil got a little bit of chocolate on the side of his mouth, Melinda was quick to sweep in and kiss it off of his face. This led to each of them taking turns kissing chocolate off of each other. Once they were both a sticky mess and the ice cream was gone, they decided to go up stairs to their room to get cleaned up together and continue their time together in private.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: A Group Outing and Unwanted Run-In**

** Note: The family goes to the zoo! And an unwanted person from the past causes some trouble. Boo! I made Phil and Melinda dangerous mofos! haha I hope you guys enjoy!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool! **

Skye and Jemma were late into their second trimester of their pregnancies when the group decided that they wanted to surprise the little ones with an outing. They didn't go out all together that often, usually preferring the privacy of their own home to going out. Everyone piled into the van that they bought for when all of them went somewhere together and immediately the kids started asking where they were going. Their parents told them it was a surprise and turned on a movie on the portable DVD player they had put into the van to distract the kids on long car rides. It did the trick and soon the little ones were watching a movie with Leo sitting between them just as engrossed in the movie as they were. Phil and Grant sat in the front and talked while Melinda sat in between the pregnant Skye and Jemma. Everyone except for Melinda, Phil, and Grant ended up asleep, making for some great photos and conversations for the ones who were awake.

45 minutes later the family arrived to their destination and Phil and Melinda laughed to themselves. They didn't know who was more excited; Leo or the kids. They knew it was a good idea to go to the zoo. Grant got both of the strollers out of the back and helped put the little ones in. Leo was jumping excitedly, telling Jemma that they had to go see the monkeys first. She calmly assured him that they would get to the monkeys eventually, but they were going to do a loop around the zoo so the women had to walk as little as possible, and would get to the monkeys when they did. Melinda tucked her arm into Phil's and they walked slowly behind the group, allowing them to look at the family that they often marveled at the fact that they had. Skye and Grant were adorable; holding hands and each holding one handle of Lyla's stroller as she bounced up and down while trying to say all of the animals' names that she knew. Leo was excitedly pushing Ian all over the place, running from area to area with Ian laughing at the way he was zooming around everywhere leaving Jemma to calmly walked next to Skye and Grant and talk with them.

The first place that everyone went was to the petting zoo. Lyla giggled and laughed as Phil and Melinda walked her around so she could gently pet and feed each of the animals. Leo was roaming all over the place with Ian and took turns feeding the animals. Skye and Jemma took tons of pictures of everyone and Grant watched his daughter like a hawk, clearly worried that one of the animals had it out for her and would try to hurt her. They walked to get the kids cleaned up after the petting zoo and to let the pregnant women use the restroom and decided that they would slowly make their way towards the eating area. They looked at the giraffes and zebras and took a trolly ride through a large area that was designed to look like Africa, with all of the animals you would normally see in the area. The kids were constantly excited and pointing at everything they saw. After the ride, they kids got antsy so they decided to let them walk for a bit on the way to the eating area. They behaved pretty well, always holding someone's hand and staying close by. The zoo wasn't crowded, thankfully, but they still worried about Lyla wandering off for some adventure like she is usually prone to do.

Everyone split up to get food and decided to meet back at a table in the center that Skye and Jemma sat at to hold for them. The two women were comparing the photos they had captured that day when something caught Skye's eye. Jemma noticed that Skye had stopped talking and looked up to see Skye staring at something and looking worried. Jemma followed her line of sight and sucked in a breath when she saw what, or rather _who, _Skye was looking at.

"Miles." Skye had said under her breath and Jemma held her breath when she noticed that Miles had noticed her too. Jemma knew about Miles. She was there for her when everything went to hell. Skye had broken things off with him a year before Grant moved in and he was never happy about it. Miles had showed up at the orphanage a lot of times to try to see her and was even seen around town while she was out. Once she moved into the mansion with Grant, she hadn't seen him. He started to make his way over to them and she noticed Skye's body tense. Jemma frantically looked around, hoping to find Phil or Grant or even Leo or Melinda at this point and visibly relaxed when she caught Grant's eye. He looked over at Jemma and then over to Skye and his eyes widened. He handed Lyla to Phil and whispered something in his ear before rushing over to Skye and wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing a kiss to her neck before sitting down next to her. She visibly relaxed and Jemma noticed Miles immediately stop walking and look for a moment over at Skye. He tensed when Skye turned towards Grant and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Miles looked downright angry when he noticed that she was pregnant and then heard a little girl yell, "Mommy!" and run into her arms. Skye immediately beamed at her daughter and picked her up to sit between her and Grant and Miles quickly turned around and walked away.

The family ate together and noticed that Skye was more quiet than usual. She brushed it off as just being tired from the pregnancy and insisted that she was okay. After their lunch, the group finally got to the monkeys and Leo and Ian were in heaven. They ran all over the place and Leo told the group everything he knew about the monkeys. Ian squealed in joy when one of them looked just like his stuffed animal he had and insisted his mom take a photo of it. Leo and Ian posed for pictures in front of the monkey exhibit long after everyone was tired of it. Their next destination was to the gift shop where Phil and Melinda bought each of the kids something of their choice. Lyla bought a stuffed elephant and Ian bought a monkey toy. Grant pulled Jemma to the side while everyone else was in line to check out. He wanted to ask Jemma about what had gotten Skye so upset. She hesitantly explained to Grant who Skye had seen and what she knew happened between them and his eyes clouded with true anger for the first time since she had known him. She had never seen that side of Grant, and knew that she would have felt bad for Miles if he wasn't so deserving of whatever it was Grant was planning in his head.

After checking out at the gift shop, the group moved on to the underwater exhibit with the Penguins and Polar bears and Grant pulled Phil to the side as Skye and Melinda stood with Lyla who was newly fascinated with the penguins sliding on their bellies. Lyla giggled and tried to chase the swimming polar bears while Skye and Mel looked on with smiles.

"I found out what was going on with Skye at lunch. Her ex is here. He works at the park. Apparently she had tried to run away from the orphanage before Jemma came around and Miles had picked her up and taken her under his wing for a bit. Turns out the bastard was abusive towards her and when she broke it off he took it real hard. Said he'd hurt everything she loved when she found it."

Phil balled his hands into whitened fists, clearly not happy with what he found out. He'd be damned if anyone was going to hurt his baby girl and her family. He could see from the look on Grant's face that he felt the same way. Hell would rise before the two men would let anything happen to Skye, and even then they would fight the devil tooth and nail to ensure her safety. The two were talking about the best way to deal with this Miles bastard when Phil felt the familiar soft squeeze of his wife's hands on his shoulders. He should have known she would realize he was pissed at something; she could always read him like a book. She asked what was wrong and the two men quickly filled her in on Miles. She kept herself more calm on the outside than the two men, but on the inside she was just as angry. She convinced the guys to go back to acting like everything was normal unless something came up. Melinda was always the calm voice of reason and assured them that years had passed and he _had _to be over it by now. Grant mumbled, "Skye isn't someone that you can just get over." and Phil chuckled and patted him on the back as they walked back over to the group.

Grant came up behind his wife and pulled her in to a hug as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. His large frame enveloped her smaller one and she sighed as she leaned back into him. Grant was immediately calmed by her presense and took her hand to walk over to where Lyla was standing with Jemma and Ian. The group continued their journey through the zoo with no more hiccups aside from spilled juice or a scraped knee when Lyla ran off and tripped over her feet.

The group ended back at the petting zoo one last time before heading off to the restrooms before their ride back. Skye and Jemma took the little ones into the restroom and agreed to meet the rest of the group back at the monkey exhibit before leaving. Grant hesitantly agreed and gave Jemma a knowing glance before waiting near the restrooms. He wasn't about to leave them alone with the kids and shortly realized it was the right choice. Jemma came walking out with the two kids and quickly assured Grant that Skye was finishing up and would be out in a moment. She stood with him and waited for Skye and then smiled when she saw Grant relax at the sight of his wife exiting the restroom. Jemma's eyes grew large upon seeing what was near the restrooms as well. Miles was walking straight towards Skye. She immediately whispered in Grant's ear, who told her to take the kids and tell Phil and Melinda what was happening.

Miles walked up to Skye, causing her to gasp in shock and instinctively place her hands protectively around her belly. "What do you want, Miles?"

"What do you think I want, baby? You know it was a mistake leaving me. That's a nice family you got there. You know what I'm capable of. It would be a shame if something was to happen to that pretty little girl of yours."

Skye's eyes teared up and she shrunk back at seeing the violent look in his eyes that she had grown so accustomed to in the past. Grant had heard the entire exchange though and felt a new wave of rage at hearing him not only threaten his wife, but his daughter as well. Throwing all caution to the wind, Grant came up from behind Miles and grabbed his newly raised arm before twisting it and causing his shoulder to pop out of place. Miles gave a yell of "What the hell?!" as he was turned around and came face to face with a very large and pissed off looking Grant Ward.

"You threatening my wife and daughter? Because I swear on everything on this earth that if you are ever within shouting distance of my family I will end you and it wont be quick or painless."

Miles laughed at him and tried to kick at Grant. "Just because you think you're some big, tough guy doesn't mean you have the skills to hurt me. I don't get why you're even defending the slut."

Grant growled and threw a punch that clocked Miles right in the jaw. Phil and Melinda came running up shortly after. Grant walked over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her and trying to calm her wracking sobs. He knew that Phil and Melinda could handle the bastard now. Miles was on the ground and Grant gave a satisfied smirk as Melinda pressed her foot down on his dislocated shoulder and applied her body weight in pressure as Phil bent down to look Miles in the eye. "You ever try to talk or threaten my daughter and grand daughter again and I swear to God my wife and I will make you wish you were never born. Turn your head. You see my wife? She's gorgeous, but she's a dangerous person, my friend. Not the type of person you want to piss off. She's a mother with dangerous training and an instinct of protecting her young and honestly, I won't even get in her way when she's pissed. She can paralyze you so you can't scream, but make you still feel every single form of torture we decide is necessary. Do you understand me?"

Miles looked up at Phil and nodded.

"I'm sorry. I must be getting old, because I couldn't hear you. I said... Do you.. understand me?"

"Yes."

Melinda crushed her boot further into Miles's shoulder causing him to whimper.

"Yes, sir."

"Nice talk son. Have a nice night. You might want to get that shoulder checked out."

Melinda laughed and Phil walked over and pressed a kiss to her lips before she gently kicked Miles over onto his back and walked away with her arm tucked into her husband's. Grant and Skye followed behind and Miles stood up and walked out of the park, but not before looking back at the group.

The family piled back into the van and drove home. The kids fell asleep fast, totally oblivious to the drama of the day and drained from all of the excitement from seeing all of the animals. Skye thanked everyone for what they did for her and they insisted that it was what they did for the ones they loved. Phil and Melinda took Lyla to bed once they arrived at home and Leo and Jemma put Ian in bed, leaving Grant and Skye to walk to their room. Grant kissed the dried tears on each of her cheeks and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Skye, look at me." She tentatively looked into his eyes and saw the raw love and emotion in them.

"I'm sorry, Grant. I'm sure you don't want to be dealing with crazy ex-boyfriends after all of this time."

"Sshhh. I promised to always protect you and be there for you. Phil and Melinda and I care about you so much. It doesn't bother us to protect you. What bothers me is the fact that there's someone out there that would hurt you that way."

Skye felt relieved that he didn't blame her for the scene today and enjoyed this new feeling of having a family that would actually stand up for her as she snuggled up close to him. She knew he was a passionate person and figured that it would transfer to him being protective over the ones he loved. She felt warm in that moment, knowing that she would always be safe as long as she had hid. He held her tight in his arms and assured her that he loved her unconditionally and would never let anything bad happen to her as long as he or Phil or Melinda were around. She smiled because she knew he was right and he smiled at seeing her finally relax.

The group didn't discuss Miles any further. He was in the past, and in their eyes, didn't deserve to be brought up. The little ones were asleep in bed with their new stuffed animals while Leo and Jemma were in the kitchen having a late-night pregnancy snack. Skye and Grant settled into bed at the end of the night. She thanked her husband for what he had done for her today and found that she loved the protective side of him and wanted him to know it before they settled in to sleep. Phil and Melinda on the other hand were already engaged in pretty passionate activities in their bedroom because they secretly found it to be a turn on when each of them became protective and threatening. They used to live in danger when they were younger and seeing their significant other still so dangerous woke up a primal instinct in them that only they knew about and loved taking advantage of in the bedroom.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: What Do You Dream Of Late At Night?**

** Note: Skye has nightmares so her and Mel do some bonding. I got the idea from a comment from Ealasaid Una. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story! There is also a brief flashback about Mel's accident when she was a cop. Let me know if any of you have any ideas you'd like to see in here... SOOOO I haven't update in forever. IDK how often I'm going to be updating honestly. I started a new job so I've been working 6 or 7 nights a week and when I'm home the last thing I want to do is use ANY brain power so I've been like a vegetable and reading or watching mindless tv shows hahaha! And then another big reason why I haven't updated is because I became OBESSED with the Vampire Academy Series and read all six books in like a week. It was unhealthy, but I regret nothing. I'm probably going to start the spin off series too JUST so I can see the cute little tidbits they put in about Romitri... Man I'm terrible.**

** Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are from AOS and have just ruined my life and this is my way of coping. The story is actually my idea though so that's pretty cool!**

It had been a week since the group outing to the zoo and everyone was back to their routines. Everyone that is, except for Skye. She was having a tough time after seeing Miles again. She had thought that he had left town years ago and was upset to find out that he was in actuality still within an hour of where she was. Their home had a state of the art security system complete with a room full of the monitors that she always kept up to date. Grant had everything installed after Ian was born and Skye was pregnant with Lyla. He wanted the kids as safe as possible and the cameras would come in handy when they got older and the kids could roam around more freely. Skye spent a lot of her spare time in front of the monitors after the run in with Miles and had sworn she had seen the vehicle drive up the hill every couple of days and park across the street before leaving shortly after. It usually happened when Grant and Phil were out which REALLY had her worried. The men were concerned, but mostly for her, thinking that she was just imagining it.

The security system didn't help ease anything when Skye was asleep. She had woken up a couple of times a night almost every night since the zoo. The nightmares would vary slightly, but every single one had Miles in common. It was mostly Miles hurting her, but sometimes he would hurt Lyla and once she had dreamed that he had seriously hurt Grant. Most of the time she would bolt awake and Grant would immediately realize that something was wrong and comfort her. Sometimes Skye would wake up without waking Grant and she would carefully get out of bed and walk down the hall to check on Lyla. Grant had woken up many times to find her sitting in the rocking chair in Lyla's room with one had on her belly and the other hanging over the chair towards Lyla who slept on a mattress on the floor so she wouldn't hurt herself when she rolled out of bed until she was able to sleep in a "big girl" bed.

Grant would walk into the room and carry Skye back into their bedroom without a word upon seeing her look up at him with her haunted brown doe eyes. She would snuggle up against him and immediately feel safe until she fell asleep again, unable to control her subconscious mind. One time, Grant had even found Skye wide awake in the middle of the night watching the security cameras monitor. He was worried about her and knew that all this lack of sleep wasn't good for her, especially with her due date being only months away. So of course he went to talk to Phil. He would often seek the older man out for advise and to vent some steam when he didn't want to burden Skye with it. So it was early one morning when Skye was sleeping in from another restless night that he went in search of Phil.

Grant walked past Lyla's room and heard her playing with a toy so he popped in to pick her up and carry her downstairs to have breakfast with Ian. He found Phil in his office looking over some paperwork.

Grant poked his head in the door. "Hey Coulson. You busy?" Phil quirked an eyebrow at Grant and motioned towards the stack of paperwork piled on his desk. "What if I say it's about Skye having nightmares and not sleeping?"

Phil immediately put the papers down and tilted his head back, motioning him to come in. He let out a sigh. "Well then in that case I'm not busy at all. I was worried something was going on. What's going on with our girl?"

Grant explained Skye's nightmares about Miles and how she would react to them as Phil tentatively listened to all of it. He sat in silence for a few moments and absorbed all he had heard. "You know, Mel might know what can help her. She's seen some messed up shit when she was a cop and I remember sometimes she would just come home wrecked, especially after her accident." The men were silent for a moment, thinking back to Mel's accident.

_There was a shooting at a mall in the city where Phil and Mel used to live. It was Melinda's day off and she was called in when the group that was shooting up the mall took hostages. She arrived with Phil who was also called in to negotiate with the men. As Phil took his station he kissed her cheek. "Be safe, love." She nodded and immediately jumped into the action, helping victims get to safety and then eventually inching closer to the suspects. The negotiations lasted for hours and she had taken out a few members of the group. The leader of the group was in a store with a lot of fire power. She tried to sneak up on him, but he ended up noticing her when one of the hostages gasped in surprise. He turned around and quickly fired three shots into her torso. She hit the ground and Phil left his command post upon hearing the officer down call from her partner. Her partner took out the suspect when he was busy reloading his weapon. She faintly heard Phil's voice screaming for her to hold on as her vision slowly faded to black. She woke up the next day in a hospital where they were told the two shots barely missed her heart and lung and one shot hit her right in the lower abdomen and damaged her uterus. She would never be able to have children. It was the first time Phil had seen Melinda break down and he held her for hours that day, mourning their loss and deciding that she would retire. _

Grant and Phil found Mel on the lower part of the patio facing the garden doing Tai-Chi. Phil whispered to Grant. "I'm pretty sure this is what helps with everything."

Melinda smirked at hearing the men behind her. "I can hear you two you know. You aren't the most inconspicuous people. Especially you, Grant. What you are you 6'2?"

Grant cleared his throat. "6'4." Phil laughed. He figured they would get caught. "Mel, we have to talk to you about Skye."

She straightened and then continued with her next pose. "I'm listening."

"She isn't sleeping at night. She's having nightmares about Miles. They've been happening ever since we saw him at the zoo."

She was silent for a few moments and then nodded. Phil walked over and kissed her cheek while she was still in her pose and led Grant back into the house. "That was her agreeing to talk to Skye."

Grant chuckled at their hilarious form of communication. He couldn't imagine Skye talking anywhere near that little. "I'm sorry Phil, but after all this time I swear I'm still like I was when I was a little kid. She's scary."

Phil chuckled and clapped Grant on the back. "She's not scary. She's just a woman that doesn't need a lot of words to express herself." Phil's chuckle turned to a booming laugh as he walked towards the dining room to go see Lyla and Ian and Grant went back upstairs to check on Skye.

Grant found their bed empty and frowned. He was hoping to get back in to snuggle with her for a few minutes, but a smirk soon found a place on his face when he heard water running in the restroom. He walked over to find her soaking in their oversized bath tub. He leaned over the tub to press a kiss to her forehead and she sighed and leaned into his hand that had found its way to her cheek. "Good morning handsome. Did you come to join me?"

"Well what kind of husband would I be if I didn't grant my wife's every wish?" and with that he stripped the clothes he wore and joined his wife for a bath.

Later in the afternoon Melinda found Skye rocking in her chair in the nursery watching Lyla sleep. Mel motioned at the door for Skye to come talk to her so she got up and together they walked outside. They sat in chairs on the patio and Melinda, not being one for subtlety came right out and asked Skye about her nightmares.

"So I heard you're having nightmares."

Skye nervously chuckled. "Wow. Just come right out with it, why don't you."

"I know what it's like."

Skye started to rub her belly and smiled when her son kicked her palm. "I don't know what to do. Every time I fall asleep I see him. I mean, I know I'm safe now. Honestly. I feel so safe here with you guys and the security system that Grant and Leo set up. But it's like when I'm asleep, my mind forgets that I'm safe. I want to sleep. Jemma tried to give me some calming tea, but then I just fall asleep quicker and it's harder to wake up from the dream. I don't want all of this lack of sleep to hurt the baby." She looked down at the mention of the baby.

Mel nodded and in a rare moment of affection reached over and took Skye's hand in hers. "Look at me. You aren't hurting the baby. You just sleep more during the day when it's light out. You're getting your sleep and he's getting what he needs. Don't you let that terrible man affect you and your son even when he isn't here. He isn't worth your time. I think it will help if you do some Tai-Chi with me at night. It clears your mind and will be calming for her before you go to sleep. Besides, it'll be good for when you go into labor this time around. I won't do any intense exercises. I want my first grandson to be just as safe as I want you. What do you think?"

Skye gave a small smile. "If you think it'll help, I'll be more than happy to try it."

"Good. We'll do it tonight after dinner. Trust me. It helps. Now what do you say we go grab Lyla and play in the sand for a bit." Skye smiled, grateful for her mother figure's help and knowing exactly what she needed. Just the thought of spending some time with Lyla put her at ease. Skye got up and hugged Mel before going inside to get Lyla and see if Jemma wanted to join them. Mel passed Grant and Phil on the way to the kids' play room and nodded and gave a small smile when she saw them, letting them know that Skye was going to be okay.

Needless to say, Skye joined Mel for Tai-Chi after dinner and slept through her first night since running into Miles at the zoo. She woke up refreshed and with a smile, which made Grant happy. After another week of being back to normal and not having nightmares, she opened up to Grant about her past with Miles and he assured her that it was never going to happen again and he appreciated her sharing it with him. The two of them relaxed alone together the rest of the morning; snuggling up on the couch and reading until they went in search of the rest of the occupants of the house to go swimming.


End file.
